The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed an increase in the number of illegal immigrants deported from South Africa which is the highest in the last five years.
The number of deported illegal immigrants increased to 46 898 in the 2024/2025 financial year that ended on 31 March 2025.This number surged by 18% compared to the previous year’s 39 672.
HOME AFFAIRS DEPORTS CLOSE TO 50 000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
The Department said this is the highest number of deportations carried out in at least five years and is triple the number conducted in recent years.
The performance of South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs over the past year exceeds the number of deportations conducted by France (22 000) and Germany (20 000) combined over the same period.
The total number of deportations for the past five years are as follows:
- 2020/2021: 14 859
- 2021/2022: 20 093
- 2022/2023: 22 560
- 2023/2024: 39 672
- 2024/2025: 46 898
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said this marked increase in the effectiveness of enforcement operations demonstrates their commitment to upholding the rule of law.
Schreiber said this also flows from an improved collaboration between the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority (BMA), the South African Police Service (SAPS), and local law enforcement. Further, it reflects the impact of joint initiatives like Operation Vala Umgodi.
“The fact that Home Affairs now performs more than double the number of deportations conducted in a country like France, which has the highest rate of deportations in the European Union, sends a clear message to offenders that the days of impunity are over. This improved performance, coupled with our digital transformation reforms that will automate entry-and-exit to prevent people from entering the country illegally through our ports of entry, is contributing to enhanced national security and trade facilitation,” Schreiber said.
A NEW UNIT TO DEAL WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?
The Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu previously said that although the country has always had a significantly high crime rate, it is now exacerbated by foreign nationals as most cases remain unsolved because the perpetrators are undocumented. The influx of illegal immigrants especially from the SADC region is a contentious issue that many have politicised.
Over the years, politicians have attributed most of the country’s socio-economic issues to illegal immigration. Inarguably, Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance was one of the political parties that profited from the concerns of ordinary South Africans regarding illegal immigrants. Following the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, McKenzie’s PA emerged as the country’s sixth biggest political party as it gained eight seats in Parliament having advocated for mass deportation of illegal immigrants and calling for South Africans to be prioritised over undocumented foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, in 2024, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba called Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber to establish a special unit within the department and law enforcement agencies to deal with illegal immigrants. This, after Schreiber extended the temporary concession for foreigners waiting for visa, waiver and appeal outcomes.
Mashaba said they would not allow any minister to compromise South Africa’s sovereignty if Schreiber’s focus is on the legalisation of illegal people in South Africa.
Mashaba said anyone coming into South Africa must demonstrate, as per the law’s prescripts, that they have a reason to be in the country.
“We cannot allow anyone to bring illegality into our country; drug dealers and drug syndicates are making our country their playground, hijacking buildings and bringing in people to come and work in restaurants, whereas 12 million South Africans are unemployed. In addition, bringing people to run spaza shops in our communities,” he said.
Mashaba further warned that terror groups are going to take over South Africa in the near future as illegal immigrants are allegedly funding them through illicit ways.
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE DONE TO FIX SA’S POROUS BORDERS?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
