Parliamentary Correspondent
The department of home affairs’ reform agenda is enhancing national security and improving the efficiency of service delivery, minister of home affairs Leon Schreiber argued in his budget vote speech in the National Assembly on Friday.
But opposition party MPs expressed concern about the continued influx of illegal immigrants who place pressure on social services and have led to anti-immigrant protests, which they blamed on inadequate immigration controls.
In reply to the debate, Schreiber insisted that the government was bound by the country’s immigration law in acting against illegal immigrants.
He noted that over the two financial years, the department had carried out nearly 110,000 deportations — an increase of 46% compared to previous years. This was in addition to the more than 945,000 people that the BMA (Border Management Authority) since its establishment had prevented from entering into SA, either illegally or because they did not have the required documentation.
