Government says over 30,000 undocumented foreigners repatriated from eThekwini in centralised Musina operation

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs says it has repatriated more than 30,000 undocumented foreign nationals from eThekwini as part of a centralised government operation being run through a processing site in Musina.

Scale and logistics of the operation

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber described the campaign as “a massive operation” and “truly unprecedented,” saying the government had so far processed 525 buses during the repatriation effort. “So indeed we’re looking at tens of thousands of individuals that’s already been successfully repatriated,” he said.

Centralising processing in Musina

Schreiber said government moved away from decentralised processing centres and established a single secure processing facility in Musina to streamline operations. He described several checks that form part of the process, including:

• verifying whether individuals were wanted for crimes in South Africa;
• recording biometrics of those found to be in the country illegally;
• declaring people undesirable under the Immigration Act;
• ensuring cross-border transport permits were in place.

Facilities and capacity

At the time of his visit, Schreiber said about 4,000 people were still being accommodated at the showgrounds in Musina while the government completed remaining processing before transfers across the border. He said the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure had built a purpose-built temporary repatriation facility and that the facility provided a “more suitable environment for those awaiting processing.”

When Schreiber visited the new temporary facility he said about 500 people were there. Government planned to increase the facility’s capacity to 4,000 people, and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was working to expand it further.

Dignity, lawfulness and partnerships

Schreiber emphasised the government’s intention to carry out the operation lawfully while protecting dignity. He said:

“I’m very proud of the fact that we have been able to do this process in a way that is upholding the law, it’s having an orderly process and also respecting the dignity of every human being.”

He added:

“I made it clear at our last press briefing that no one forfeits their basic human dignity because they’re accused of breaking the law, any kind of law and so we absolutely respect and uphold that.”

Schreiber said government had already cleared 99% of the people who had been at Home Affairs offices and was focused on processing those remaining at the showgrounds before transportation across the border. He also said all new buses transporting people for repatriation would be directed to the new temporary repatriation facility rather than the showgrounds, with signage to guide drivers.

The minister said government had met with the International Organization for Migration, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and several non-governmental organisations to help ensure the repatriation process was conducted properly.