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South Africa Spends R80 Million on Deporting Undocumented Immigrants in a Year
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has revealed that it spent just over R78 million in the 2024/2025 financial year deporting undocumented immigrants. The figure signals the steepest rise in deportation expenditure in recent years, with numbers almost doubling compared to two years ago.
The rising bill
In his latest parliamentary reply, Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber confirmed the department’s spending. In 2022/2023, deportations cost the state R32 million for more than 22 000 people. That climbed to nearly R68 million the following year, when over 39 000 individuals were deported. By 2024/2025, the number had swelled to 51 650 people, with costs ballooning to R78 million.
The statistics also highlight a long-running trend: growing financial strain on an already stretched department as it juggles the demands of border management with other civic duties such as ID and passport processing.
Border enforcement in focus
The spending figures come against the backdrop of a stronger enforcement push at South Africa’s land borders. The Border Management Authority, under Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato, recently reported that 9 954 people were intercepted while attempting to cross illegally in just three months of the new financial year.
Of these, 5 826 had no documentation, more than 2 000 were deemed inadmissible, and another 2 001 were labelled undesirable. These interceptions formed part of routine checks at border posts, where immigration specialists processed more than 8.5 million travellers over the same period.
Political and public reaction
The rising deportation bill has not gone unnoticed in Parliament. Patriotic Alliance MP Millicent Mothapa questioned the department’s growing costs, echoing earlier concerns raised by the Economic Freedom Fighters last year.
For many South Africans, the issue cuts both ways. On one hand, there is strong public pressure for the government to clamp down on unlawful migration, particularly given the country’s unemployment crisis and stretched social services. On the other, taxpayers are asking whether tens of millions spent each year on deportations could be better used to strengthen border control upfront or to improve asylum processes.
A costly balancing act
South Africa’s approach to undocumented migration is deeply intertwined with regional realities. The country remains a magnet for those seeking work, safety, or opportunity, which places its immigration systems under constant pressure. While the rising cost of deportations highlights the state’s determination to enforce the law, it also sparks questions about sustainability.
As the government pushes ahead with tighter border management, the debate over costs versus outcomes is unlikely to fade. For now, one thing is clear: deportations are consuming an ever-larger slice of the national budget, and South Africans are watching closely to see whether the investment delivers results.
Also read: Lotus River’s Cassidy Hendricks Stuns Premier Winde with Her Reading Talent
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: News24
