PRETORIA, 29 June (TownPress) — The South African government has announced significant progress in its intensified campaign to deport and repatriate undocumented foreign nationals, reporting thousands of arrests and successful repatriations over the past week. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, confirmed that the state is ramping up enforcement through a comprehensive migration management strategy.
According to Kubayi, who chairs the Inter-ministerial Committee on Migration, a total of 15,162 Malawian nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation as of late June. The situation in areas such as Sherwood and the Durban Drive-in in KwaZulu-Natal had reportedly become untenable, prompting an emergency humanitarian response. To manage the surge, the government has extended the jurisdiction of the Musina Refugee Reception Office in Limpopo to assist with verifications.
The crackdown has seen a massive mobilization of law enforcement resources. In the week of 15 June alone, authorities arrested 5,056 suspects for various contraventions of immigration laws. Additionally, multidisciplinary operations led to 35 arrests, which included two employers facing charges for hiring undocumented workers. The Border Management Authority, supported by the police and the SANDF, continues to maintain heightened vigilance at land, air, and sea ports.
Minister Kubayi highlighted that several countries, including Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, have voluntarily come forward to assist in repatriating their citizens. While the host country handles verification, the requesting nations bear the primary responsibility for the costs and logistics of transportation. A new Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre has been established outside Musina to fast-track clearances through the Beitbridge port of entry, effectively decentralizing the process away from the Lindela Repatriation Centre.
The government maintains that these operations are anchored in the rule of law and the Constitution. Kubayi issued a stern warning against vigilantism and violence, emphasizing that while the state will not tolerate the circumvention of immigration systems, it will also not permit intimidation directed at any community. The focus remains on restoring stability to affected regions while ensuring that employers comply with national labour and immigration legislation.
The impact of these operations is expected to be felt across South Africa’s border towns as the government seeks to improve operational resilience under current surge conditions. By involving international stakeholders such as the UNHCR and the Red Cross, the state aims to ensure that the accelerated deportation process meets humanitarian standards while addressing the logistical pressures on the domestic immigration system.
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