Campaign to arrest undocumented migrants continue, says IMC
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC) says the government is continuing with its intensified law enforcement operations targeting criminal networks that exploit undocumented migrants.
The committee provided an update on its operations on Sunday.
The IMC began its work as fringe anti-foreigner groups had set June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented migrants to go home, triggering the exodus of more than 160,000 people, according to an AFP tally based on figures from African governments repatriating their citizens.
IMC chairperson and Minister of Justice Mmamoloko Kubayi said the processing of undocumented persons has increased.
“To date, law enforcement authorities have registered 354 cases of arrest, and prosecutions are still pending against individuals who are in contravention of the law related to the issue of migration,” said Kubayi.
“An additional 69 people were arrested in Jeffreys Bay last weekend and appeared in court on Monday. Government is making it clear that migration management is fundamentally a rule of law matter, and it has to be taken by those who are entitled to do so, or who have the authority to do so.”
More than 68,000 Malawian nationals, who gathered at Sherwood Community Centre in Durban in June and July, have been processed.
“The majority repatriated following processing at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre,” Kubayi said.
“So overall now from the last stats we gave, which was around 54, we are now sitting at 68,138.”
She said the Border Management Authority (BMA) has processed 72,906 repatriations at all its ports of entry between 7th June and 14th July.
Work is also underway to set up a dedicated court at OR Tambo International Airport to deal with immigration cases.
“Now it's the process of us ensuring that the facility does meet the requirements of a court,” added Kubayi.
"I’ve been informed that actually it won't be one courtroom, but we have the capacity to have about three courtrooms, and we'll see as the Department of Justice whether we utilise it only for that. Maybe we could offload some of the pressures that Kempton Park is experiencing.”
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