South Africa processes 72,906 foreign nationals for repatriation in six weeks, minister says
?s Border Management Authority has processed 72,906 repatriations across all ports of entry in a six-week period, Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said ...
South Africa’s Border Management Authority has processed 72,906 repatriations across all ports of entry in a six-week period, Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said on Monday in Pretoria. The figures cover the period from 7 June to 14 July and come as the government steps up its migration crackdown and warns against interference with law enforcement.
The numbers point to a heavy enforcement drive. They also show how migration pressure is landing squarely on the government’s political agenda. Kubayi said authorities have been acting at ports of entry and in communities where arrests and prosecutions are still under way. Fast, visible, and broad. That is the message.
Repatriations processed at border posts
Kubayi said the Border Management Authority had handled the repatriations at all its ports of entry during the period under review. She gave the figures at an Interministerial Committee on Migration media briefing in Pretoria, where officials outlined the latest actions taken by law enforcement agencies.
The minister did not break down the nationalities involved or specify the reasons behind each repatriation. But the scale alone signals the size of the administrative and enforcement task facing South African authorities along their border network. Border officials have become the front line of the country’s migration management efforts.
In a region where cross-border movement often intersects with labour migration, documentation problems and criminal cases, such operations rarely stay confined to a single ministry. They spill into policing, justice and social support. Pretoria is dealing with all three at once.
Arrests and prosecutions pending
Kubayi said law enforcement authorities had registered 354 cases involving arrests, with prosecutions still pending. She also said an additional 69 people were arrested in Jeffries Bay last weekend and appeared in court on Monday.
The minister did not provide details on the pending cases. Still, the figures suggest authorities are pursuing both immigration-related enforcement and criminal investigations tied to foreign nationals. The work is not done. Not yet.
Kubayi urged the public to respect the work of police and other officials enforcing the law. She issued a warning to anyone who tries to obstruct that work, saying they would face the consequences.
“We would like to issue a strong warning against those who undermine the work of our law enforcement officers or otherwise face the consequences,” she said.
Government assistance for vulnerable migrants
At the same briefing, Kubayi said government and social partners have been coordinating assistance for vulnerable foreign nationals affected by recent tensions and displacement. She framed the state’s approach as both strict and humane, insisting the migration system should remain lawful, secure and aligned with broader policy goals.
The balance is delicate. South Africa has faced periodic strains over migration, especially when public frustration, crime fears and pressure on services feed one another. Those tensions often push the debate beyond border control and into politics, with officials under pressure to enforce the law without deepening humanitarian fallout.
Kubayi said government is firmly committed to implementing a migration system that is “secure. Humane, lawful, and alig…” Her remarks were cut in the source extract, but the direction was clear: tighter control, backed by coordinated support.
For now, the latest figure — 72,906 repatriations in just over a month — gives a sharp snapshot of how aggressively the state is moving. More arrests are likely to follow as the IMC’s migration campaign continues through the country’s ports of entry and beyond.
