Full List as South Africa Imposes $18.5m Repatriation Bill on 3 African Nations
- South Africa's Home Affairs Department spent R292 million on repatriating foreign nationals, far exceeding its R60 million budget for deportations
- Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode told Parliament that over 82,000 foreign nationals had been processed through repatriation centres as of August 6
- Pretoria has written to Malawi's government and the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia demanding repayment of the costs through DIRCO
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South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has formally asked the governments of Malawi, Nigeria, and Ethiopia to refund costs linked to a large-scale repatriation operation that has left Pretoria nearly R300 million out of pocket.
Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode disclosed to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs that the department spent R292 million on the operation, a figure that dwarfs the R60 million originally set aside for deportations. Transport costs formed the biggest part of that bill, as authorities moved undocumented migrants from across the country to repatriation centres and border crossings.
Source: UGC
Reimbursement requests sent to 3 countries
Makhode confirmed that letters requesting repayment were sent through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
"We have also written to the government of Malawi and, of course, the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia requesting reimbursements of this cost through the department of DIRCO," Makhode told lawmakers.
South Africa is now waiting on responses from all three governments. The repatriation programme had no dedicated budget line, and Makhode said the financial pressure it created was a major concern for the department going forward.
Scale of the operation
By August 6, a total of 82,875 foreign nationals had been processed through Home Affairs repatriation centres. That count does not include those repatriated before June 30 or those handled directly by the Border Management Authority, meaning the true number of people processed is likely higher.
Malawians made up the largest group of those returning or deported, followed by Zimbabwean and Mozambican nationals.
The department also continued running deportations through the Lindela Repatriation Centre, where 44,607 people were deported during the previous financial year. Between April 20 and July 28 this year alone, a further 16,078 were deported through the same facility.
The operation was triggered by a wave of anti-immigrant protests that swept parts of South Africa earlier this year. Several African governments organised voluntary return programmes for their citizens amid safety concerns, while South African authorities simultaneously ramped up enforcement and deportations as part of what the government described as a push to strengthen immigration control.
Africa: US mentions 374 people to be deported
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an updated list of 374 West African nationals it intends to deport, releasing their names and photographs as part of its 'Worst of the Worst' initiative.
The US Department of Homeland Security publishes an updated deportation list, naming 374 West Africans. Photo credit: DHS Source: Getty Images Nigeria accounts for the highest number on the list, with 124 citizens named. Liberia follows with 94 individuals, while Ghana contributes 32, Sierra Leone has 26 nationals listed, Cape Verde has 23, and Senegal has 19. Smaller numbers were drawn from Mauritania (12), Côte d'Ivoire (14), The Gambia (14), Burkina Faso (9), Niger (8), Guinea (6), Togo (6), and Mali (5).
Source: Legit.ng
