By Oluwakemi Kindness
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa says the repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals is voluntary and is being carried out in partnership with affected countries and international refugee organisations.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Ramaphosa said his government is responding to concerns over undocumented migration while ensuring that the rights of both South Africans and foreign nationals are protected.
“We are managing, together with other governments, the process of repatriation, and these are all voluntary repatriation processes,” he said.
The President said he had spoken with the leaders of countries whose citizens have been affected. According to him, they acknowledged that migration is a global challenge and urged South Africa to uphold human rights throughout the process.
Ramaphosa also warned against members of the public profiling or questioning people based on their nationality, stressing that only government officials have the authority to verify immigration status.
He said the government had established temporary repatriation centres, including one in Musina near the Zimbabwean border, to process undocumented migrants. The facility has processed more than 45,000 people since opening on July 2, while over 50,000 migrants have left South Africa through various border posts since the recent unrest escalated.
The President said his administration would strengthen border security, enforce labour laws more strictly and sanction employers who hire undocumented workers.
The latest wave of xenophobic violence began after anti-immigrant groups issued a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. The attacks have resulted in deaths, looting and assaults in cities including Johannesburg and Durban, worsening diplomatic tensions with several African countries.
Nigeria has continued evacuating its citizens from South Africa. The latest batch of 287 Nigerians left Johannesburg on Thursday after Air Peace deployed a replacement aircraft when the original plane developed a technical fault.
More than 1,700 Nigerians have now returned home since the crisis began, while over 1,000 others have registered for voluntary evacuation through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
