KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has warned employers about the consequences of hiring undocumented migrants as the province intensifies its immigration enforcement efforts
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KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has issued a stern warning to businesses and individuals employing undocumented foreign nationals, saying they will face arrest as the province intensifies its crackdown on illegal immigration.
Speaking on ongoing deportation and repatriation efforts in the province, Ntuli said authorities are broadening enforcement beyond undocumented migrants to include employers who knowingly hire them.
“That operation is going to continue in order to ensure that whoever is undocumented will have to correct the issue of being undocumented, including the employers who are employing the undocumented foreign nationals,” Ntuli said.
“They will be arrested.”
The premier said government is calling on communities to assist law enforcement by reporting employers who violate immigration laws.
“We will continue working with society to say we must report to the police whoever is employing undocumented foreign nationals,” he said.
“We must report to the police that when they do so, they are breaking the law.”
Ntuli's remarks come as KwaZulu-Natal continues large-scale operations targeting undocumented migrants across the province.
He revealed that police arrested 250 undocumented foreign nationals on June 30 alone, with those individuals processed for deportation.
“Even on the 30th of June, 250 of the undocumented foreign nationals were caught by the police, were arrested by the police, and they were taken for processing and deportation,” he said.
The premier stressed that the province's approach is focused on enforcing the law while distinguishing between undocumented migrants and foreign nationals who are legally residing in South Africa.
“The process of deportation will continue,” Ntuli said.
At the same time, he reiterated that documented foreign nationals should not be targeted and must be integrated into local communities.
“There are some members of society who do not understand that you cannot have a country where there are no foreign nationals. South Africans are also in other countries,” he said.
“For those who are documented, who are here, they ought to be integrated with the community.”
Ntuli also linked the issue to broader economic concerns, saying government is working to address gaps left in sectors previously occupied by undocumented migrants while supporting local businesses and township economies.
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