WATCH | Ramaphosa admits immigration failures, vows tougher action

Ramaphosa

Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged failures in the government’s management of migration, admitting that weaknesses in enforcement, corruption and loopholes in the immigration system have undermined public confidence.

In a national address on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the state alone is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and vowed to strengthen measures against undocumented migration while maintaining South Africa’s constitutional and international obligations to protect refugees and asylum seekers.

“The responsibility for enforcing immigration laws rests with the state and the state alone,” he said, adding that there had been “weaknesses in the way migration has been managed” and “instances of corruption”.

The president stressed that South Africa’s economic challenges, including unemployment and poor service delivery, cannot be blamed solely on foreign nationals. He also warned that only authorised government officials may enforce immigration laws, saying members of the public are not permitted to demand proof of nationality from others.

Ramaphosa outlined five key interventions to address illegal immigration:

  • A crackdown on violations of immigration and labour laws, including dedicated immigration courts to speed up deportations and tougher penalties for employers who hire undocumented migrants.
  • Enhanced border security measures, following the interception of more than 450,000 people attempting to enter South Africa illegally over the past year.

  • Continued action against corruption and inefficiencies at the Department of Home Affairs, including the phasing out of green barcoded ID books and the introduction of a biometric-based Intelligent Population Register and Digital ID system.
  • Legislative reforms to close loopholes in immigration laws that are exploited by undocumented migrants.
  • Greater cooperation with other African countries to address the root causes of migration, including conflict, poverty and lack of economic opportunities.

The president also announced plans to relocate refugee reception centres closer to border posts, beginning with the Tshwane centre, to improve the processing of asylum applications.

Ramaphosa said South Africa remains committed to combating illegal immigration while rejecting xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, insisting that migration challenges require both effective enforcement and regional cooperation.

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