processed, the asylum seeker becomes a recognised refugee with refugee status in South Africa. REFUGEE STATUS CERTIFICATE This is a certificate issued to a refugee in South Africa as formal recognition of their refugee status. This certificate allows the holder to live, work or study in South Africa. It is subject to renewal but it gets issued for a longer term than an asylum seeker visa. IMMIGRATION STATUS This term refers to the protection afforded to migrants who have successfully applied for a visa or permit under the Immigration Act in South Africa, e.g., a work visa, a study visa, a relative’s visa, or a permanent residence permit. IMMIGRATION VISA PERMIT A temporary residence visa or permanent residence permit issued to a migrant in terms of the Immigration Act. It allows non-citizens to live, work or study in South Africa depending on the specific conditions of the visa or permit.Temporary residence visas are subject to renewal. CHILD A child is defined as a person below the age of 18 years old. ABANDONED CHILD According to the Children’s act, an abandoned child is a child who has been deserted by the parent, guardian or caregiver - or who has had no contact with the parent, guardian or caregiver for a period of at least three months. ORPHANED CHILD According to the Children’s Act, an orphaned child is a child who has no surviving parent caring for them. FOUNDLING CHILD A foundling is a child who has been found abandoned in the country and whose place of birth or parentage is unknown (N.B.: the difference between an Abandoned child and a Foundling child, is that the place of birth or parentage of an Abandoned child may be known). UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN Children who have been separated from both parents and other relatives and are not being LEGAL IDENTITY cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is Legal identity is defined as the fundamental responsible for doing so. (General Comment No. characteristics of a person’s identity, e.g., your 6102 t ropeR launnA nerdlihC eht evaS 6 (2005) on the Treatment of Unaccompanied and legal name, sex, date of birth, or place of birth (you Separated Children). can prove legal status through a birth certificate, identity document or passport, as well as a SEPARATED CHILDREN citizenship certificate, asylum seeker visa, refugee Children who have been separated from both status certificate, or immigration visa or permit). parents or previous legal or customary primary caregiver, but not necessarily from their relatives BIRTH REGISTRATION and, it may include children accompanied by other Birth registration is the recording of the birth adult family members. (General Comment No. 6 of a child in an official government registry. The (2005) on the Treatment of Unaccompanied and Department of Home Affairs is responsible for Separated Children) birth registration in South Africa. BIRTH CERTIFICATE An official document issued by the Department of Home Affairs upon completing the birth registration process. It is a child’s first legal proof of identity and contains the following details; the child’s legal name, date of birth and place of birth and the parent(s) names, date of birth, place of birth and citizenship. NATIONAL REFERRAL MECHANISM In this context, it is a co-operative framework through which state and non-state actors fulfil their obligations to protect and promote the human rights of cross-border migrants by coordinating efforts in a strategic partnership with civil society, with a view of referring cross-border migrants to appropriate service providers. IDENTITY DOCUMENT (ID) A compulsory document issued by the Department of Home Affairs to citizens and permanent residents who are 16 years and older. Refugees are also issued with an identity document through the Refugee Reception Office. SMUGGLING OF MIGRANTS The procurement to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or another material benefit of the illegal entry or stay of a person into a state of which the person is not a national or a permanent resident. (Smuggling of Migrants Protocol, 2000). PASSPORT A document issued to citizens by the Department of Home Affairs that allows the holder to travel outside the borders of South Africa and to return. www.lhr.org.za www.savethechildren.org.za |9