Patriotic Alliance (PA) Member of Parliament (MP) Millicent Mathopa, was told by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber 51 650 illegal immigrants were deported in the 2024/25 financial year at a cost of R78 140 005.

This is close to 11 000 more than were deported in the previous financial year at a cost of over R11 million less. The figures for the 2022/23 financial year show 22 560 illegal immigrants were deported at a cost of R32 million, while 39 627 people were deported in 2023/24 at a cost of R67 million.

The figures given in reply to Mathopa’s August Parliamentary question differ from those given by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in an April ministerial statement. That Schreiber statement had it 46 898 illegal immigrants were deported in the 2023/24 year – an increase of 18% over 2022/23.

He ascribed the deportation increase to what he said was “the effectiveness of enforcement operations” resulting from improved collaboration between his department, Commissioner Michael Masiapato’s Border Management Authority (BMA) and General Fannie Masemola’s SA Police Service (SAPS).

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“During the Month of October 2024, the population of sentenced and unsentenced foreign nationals in DCS custody stands at approximately 18000 which constitutes 11% of the incarcerated population,” noted Groenewald.

After reporting foreign nationals to the DHA, the true nationality of the detainees must then be established by DHA, who then initiates the deportation of those “whose stay in the Republic of South Africa is illegal or undesirable.”

It remains the responsibility of DCS to hand over offenders to relevant authorities either for release or deportation. Among the conditions of deportation, detainees who are leased back to their home countries must seek authorization from DHA to return. Further, their personal details are to be circulated to all South African Border posts, to the South African Police Service (SAPS), and Criminal Record Centres “until expiry of the parole period.”

“In collaboration with other stakeholders, [DCS] is at an advanced stage of consultation with the Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster with the objective of formalizing a South African procedure in relation to interstate transfer of offenders as currently there is no legal provision for the transfer of sentenced foreign nationals to their country of origin,” added Groenewald.

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