Nearly 70,000 foreign nationals processed amid South Africa's repatriation drive
Johannesburg, July 26
A total of 68,138 foreign nationals have been processed in South Africa between June 14 and July 24, with the majority repatriated to their native countries, a government official said on Sunday.
Mmamoloko Kubayi, Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, made the remarks at a media briefing in Pretoria on the government's latest progress in dealing with the migration challenges in the country.
The repatriations come amid a recent rise in attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, which has prompted some migrants to opt for voluntary return.
Kubayi said the government has been working with representatives of countries of origin to facilitate the repatriation process, Xinhua news agency reported.
"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," said Kubayi, who is also Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.
According to Kubayi, the Border Management Authority processed 72,906 repatriations involving various nationalities at ports of entry between June 7 and July 14, including those handled at the temporary repatriation centre.
She said dedicated immigration courts finalised 28,736 immigration-related cases, mainly involving deportations, between April 1 and the end of June.
Kubayi also warned against unauthorised identity checks targeting foreign nationals, saying migration management remains the responsibility of state authorities and must be conducted in accordance with 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.
Since April, a total of 93 joint border operations have been conducted to crack down on the illegal movement of illicit goods, human trafficking and drug syndicates, according to Kubayi.
She said the government has also intensified engagement with neighbouring countries and countries of origin to strengthen cooperation on migration management, documentation, repatriation and information sharing.
— IANS
Reader Comments
68,000 people processed in just over a month is massive! The scale of this operation is staggering. It must be incredibly stressful for those caught up in it—imagine being forced to uproot your life like that. I hope the South African authorities are ensuring humane treatment at the processing centres. India's own experience with repatriation from the Gulf during COVID taught us that coordination with home countries is key. 😢
The statistics here are eye-opening: 93 joint border operations, 354 arrests, and 28,736 immigration cases. South Africa is clearly serious about cracking down on illegal migration and cross-border crime. But I worry that this approach risks painting all foreign nationals with the same brush. Many migrants are hardworking people contributing to the economy—not criminals. The government needs to separate enforcement from xenophobia.
As someone from India who has seen the challenges of migration within our own country and to nations like the Gulf, this story hits close to home. The emphasis on "rule of law" is correct but must be applied uniformly. The warning against unauthorised identity checks is important—vigilantism only fuels hatred. Hope South Africa can manage this without repeating the 2008 xenophobic violence. 🙏
Interesting that the vast majority were processed as voluntary returns. That suggests many migrants were already feeling unsafe due to the attacks—not exactly a choice made freely. The government's cooperation with countries of origin is smart, but I hope they're also addressing the push factors: poverty, conflict, climate change. Otherwise, these migrants will simply end up elsewhere or try to return illegally.
R