South Africa has processed more than 68,000 foreign nationals in a six-week repatriation drive, with most returned to their home countries…reports Africa Daily News Desk
South Africa has processed 68,138 foreign nationals between June 14 and July 24, with the majority repatriated to their countries of origin as part of an intensified effort to manage migration, the government said.
The update was provided by Mmamoloko Kubayi, Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, during a media briefing in Pretoria on the government’s latest measures to address migration challenges.
The repatriation campaign comes amid a recent rise in attacks targeting foreign nationals, prompting some migrants to choose voluntary return.
Kubayi said the government had been working closely with the authorities of migrants’ home countries to facilitate the repatriation process.
“Regarding deportations and repatriations, we can confirm that since Malawian nationals assembled at Sherwood in KwaZulu-Natal from June 14 to July 24, a total of 68,138 foreign nationals have been processed, the majority repatriated following processing at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre,” she said.
According to Kubayi, the Border Management Authority also processed 72,906 repatriations involving various nationalities at ports of entry between June 7 and July 14, including those handled through the temporary repatriation centre.
She said dedicated immigration courts finalised 28,736 immigration-related cases, largely involving deportations, between April 1 and the end of June.
Kubayi also cautioned against unauthorised identity checks targeting foreign nationals, stressing that migration enforcement is the responsibility of state authorities and must be carried out within the law.
“To date, law enforcement authorities have registered 354 cases of arrests and prosecutions against individuals who are in contravention of the law related to the issue of migration. An additional 69 people were arrested in the Eastern Cape last weekend, and appeared in court on Monday. Government is making it clear that migration management is fundamentally a rule-of-law matter. Criminality will not be tolerated, regardless of who is involved,” she said.
The minister said South African authorities had conducted 93 joint border operations since April to combat the illegal movement of goods, human trafficking and drug trafficking networks.
She added that the government had stepped up engagement with neighbouring countries and other countries of origin to strengthen cooperation on migration management, improve documentation procedures, facilitate repatriation efforts and enhance information sharing.
