Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi revealed that more than 40,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested across South Africa since January 2026.
More than 40,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested across South Africa since the beginning of the year as government intensifies its crackdown on undocumented migration, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration revealed on Sunday.
Briefing the media on progress made since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a five-point strategy to tackle irregular migration, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said law enforcement agencies had significantly increased operations targeting immigration law violations, illegal employment practices and border-related crimes.
“In the past month alone, more than 7,400 illegal immigrants have been arrested by the SAPS for contravening the Immigration Act. Since 1 January 2026, law enforcement operations conducted across the country have resulted in the arrest of more than 40,000 illegal immigrants,” Kubayi said.
The IMC described the figure as evidence that government is stepping up efforts to enforce immigration laws and restore public confidence.
