The government's R80 million repatriation programme has come under renewed pressure after ActionSA questioned whether deporting more than 72,000 undocumented migrants has strengthened border security or merely created a costly cycle that taxpayers continue to fund.
The criticism follows Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi's announcement that the Border Management Authority (BMA) had processed 72,906 repatriations across the country's ports of entry as part of the government's migration enforcement efforts.
While outlining progress on the government's Five-Point Plan on Migration Management, Kubayi said reforms were under way to strengthen border security, tighten law enforcement and close legislative gaps through new immigration, citizenship and refugee protection laws.
However, ActionSA Limpopo provincial chairperson Victor Mothemela argued that the figures expose the shortcomings of the government's migration strategy, saying undocumented migrants continue to live and work in communities across the country despite thousands of repatriations.
"This is evidence that the government's approach remains reactive rather than preventative."
