586 Nigerians repatriated as Home Affairs tightens immigration enforcement

Leon Schreiber

Johannesburg – The Department of Home Affairs has repatriated 586 Nigerian nationals found to be living illegally in South Africa, with the first group of 268 people flown out of the country on Thursday.

The department said all individuals processed for repatriation had been issued with Emergency Travel Documents by the Nigerian High Commission to facilitate their return to Nigeria.

A second flight carrying the remaining individuals is scheduled to depart on Monday, June 15.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Home Affairs said the repatriations formed part of ongoing efforts to enforce South Africa’s immigration laws and strengthen border management.

“In accordance with the Immigration Act, all affected individuals have been declared undesirable persons and are consequently prohibited from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years,” the department said.

The department also thanked the Nigerian High Commission for its cooperation during the documentation and repatriation process.

The repatriation comes amid heightened scrutiny of illegal immigration and growing pressure on authorities to strengthen immigration enforcement.

Home Affairs reminded all foreign nationals residing in South Africa that they are required to hold valid visas or other legal authorisations permitting them to remain in the country.

“Foreign nationals must ensure that their immigration status remains compliant with South African immigration laws at all times and to regularise their stay,” the department said.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the government remained committed to enforcing immigration laws and restoring the rule of law.

Deportations and repatriations

“Home Affairs is irrevocably committed to enforcing South Africa’s immigration laws and restoring the rule of law. Our ongoing orderly and lawful deportations and repatriations, which have increased by 46% over the past two years, is clear evidence of this,” Schreiber said.

The minister said a series of reforms aimed at modernising the country’s immigration and identification systems would further enhance the department’s ability to enforce the law.

“Our reform agenda as recently affirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, including the ongoing scale-up of the Electronic Travel Authorisation to record biometrics for every foreigner entering our country, the replacement of the fraud-prone Green ID Book with Smart ID cards through our digital partnership with the banks, and the introduction of a cutting-edge Digital Identity system, are systematically enhancing our capacity to enforce immigration laws,” he said.

Schreiber urged members of the public not to resort to vigilantism or violence against foreign nationals.

“In this context of ongoing progress, the public is again urged to never engage in violence or take the law into their own hands,” he said.

The latest repatriation operation is one of the largest conducted by the department this year and forms part of broader efforts to curb illegal immigration while ensuring compliance with South Africa’s immigration legislation.

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