Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi revealed that more than 40,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested across South Africa since January 2026.
Image: GCIS
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.
“This is a demonstration that government is not turning a blind eye to illegal immigration and we are intensifying our efforts to bring it under control,” Kubayi said.
Authorities have also tightened security at ports of entry, deploying drones, body-worn cameras and roadblocks along key routes leading to border crossings such as Beitbridge. The committee said heightened vigilance recently led to the interception of nine Bangladeshi nationals at OR Tambo International Airport who allegedly attempted to enter the country using fraudulent visas.
The crackdown has also targeted employers accused of violating immigration and labour laws. Recent multidisciplinary operations in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng resulted in dozens of arrests, including employers allegedly found to be hiring undocumented foreign nationals.
The committee further revealed that deportation efforts have been accelerated, with hundreds of foreign nationals already repatriated. It confirmed that 980 Malawian nationals were deported from the Lindela Repatriation Centre on 10 June, while governments including Malawi, Ghana and Nigeria are working with South Africa to facilitate the return of their citizens.
The IMC reiterated that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state and warned against vigilantism.
“Only the state has the responsibility to enforce immigration laws and no one else,” it said, urging citizens to report suspected criminal activity to authorities rather than conducting their own immigration checks.
Government also cautioned against the spread of misinformation on social media, saying fake videos and manipulated images were fuelling tensions and violence against foreign nationals.
“We call on all South Africans to reject the path of vigilantism, dismiss the noise of misinformation, and to partner with government as we restore stability to our neighbourhoods,” Kubayi said.
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