By Iroyin Yoruba Television
South Africa has recorded a major increase in the departure of undocumented foreign nationals, with 99,325 people having been assisted to leave the country since June 2026, according to figures provided by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber in response to a parliamentary question.
The figures cover people who departed through a number of official ports of entry and include nationals from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Lesotho and Zambia. The largest groups were Malawian and Zimbabwean nationals, according to the breakdown provided by the minister.
The development comes amid a significant tightening of South Africa's immigration enforcement system and follows months of intense public debate over undocumented migration, border management, foreign-owned businesses and the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers.
According to the figures released in Parliament, 60,007 Malawian nationals and 31,776 Zimbabwean nationals accounted for the largest portions of the departures through Beitbridge. Other recorded departures included 2,303 Mozambicans through Lebombo, 1,145 Nigerians through OR Tambo International Airport, 958 Ghanaians through the same airport, 807 Ugandans through OR Tambo and smaller numbers involving nationals of Kenya, Zambia and Lesotho.
The total does not mean that all of the people involved were forcibly deported.
The figures relate to undocumented foreign nationals who were assisted to leave South Africa through coordinated repatriation and deportation processes. The distinction is important because immigration enforcement can result in different outcomes depending on an individual's legal status, nationality, documentation and circumstances.
South African authorities have increasingly relied on joint operations involving the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority, the South African Police Service and other government departments.
The government's approach forms part of a broader migration-management programme intended to strengthen control at the country's borders while continuing to facilitate lawful travel, trade and immigration.
Earlier this month, government reported that more than 4,200 undocumented foreign nationals had been intercepted while attempting to enter South Africa outside formal ports of entry between April and July 2026.
Most of those interceptions occurred along the northern border corridor with Zimbabwe, followed by areas bordering Lesotho and Mozambique.
Authorities also reported that almost 90,000 people had been repatriated by early September and that dozens of joint border-enforcement operations had been conducted during July.
The government has linked the increase in enforcement to improvements in border surveillance, infrastructure, technology and coordination between agencies.
Cabinet has approved a Borderline Infrastructure Improvement Plan covering the period from 2026 to 2030. The plan is intended to improve infrastructure across South Africa's seven border provinces, including patrol mobility, response times, personnel safety and coordination between government agencies.
South Africa has an extensive land border of approximately 4,471 kilometres, creating a difficult environment for immigration authorities and border personnel.
Government has acknowledged that damaged fencing, inadequate access roads and deteriorating infrastructure have historically made it easier for people to cross the country's borders outside designated ports of entry.
The enforcement campaign is also taking place away from the borders.
Immigration officials have been conducting inspections at workplaces and businesses to determine whether foreign nationals have valid documentation and whether employers are complying with South African labour and immigration laws.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told Parliament that the number of business compliance inspections had increased substantially.
During the 2026 financial year, authorities conducted 10,766 business inspections, compared with 3,105 in 2025 and 1,561 in 2024.
The increase means immigration enforcement is increasingly being combined with workplace inspections and broader law-enforcement operations.
One recent example occurred in Midrand, where a multidisciplinary inspection at a construction site resulted in more than 40 undocumented foreign nationals being detained for processing. Officials reported that more than 100 undocumented foreign nationals were found at the site, with 41 subsequently detained and handed over for processing.
Such operations are not limited to construction.
Authorities have also been inspecting businesses in sectors including hospitality, informal retail, restaurants and other workplaces where concerns have been raised about immigration and labour-law compliance.
The government's position is that businesses must comply with employment legislation and that foreign nationals working in South Africa must have the appropriate legal authorisation.
At the same time, the enforcement drive has created difficult circumstances for some foreign nationals who say they have been displaced from their homes or businesses during anti-immigration protests.
In Durban, for example, a group of asylum seekers and refugees had remained near a Home Affairs office for months after becoming displaced during a period of heightened anti-immigration tensions.
In September, authorities transferred 274 people from the site to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng following consultations with affected communities. The group included 191 nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 76 Burundians, five Ugandans, one Mozambican and one Ghanaian.
The government said those affected had been presented with options that included returning to their previous areas of residence or relocating to Lindela.
The situation demonstrates that South Africa's current immigration debate involves several different categories of people.
Undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, lawful permanent residents, temporary permit holders and other foreign nationals do not necessarily have the same legal status.
Consequently, an immigration operation involving foreign nationals does not automatically mean that every person encountered is illegally present in South Africa.
Verification of documentation and legal status is therefore an important part of the process.
South African police have continued to make arrests involving people who allegedly cannot produce documents authorising their stay.
In the Northern Cape, SAPS reported that eight foreign nationals were arrested during a vehicle checkpoint on the N7 after officers found that they could not produce valid documentation authorising their stay in South Africa. The individuals were detained for further processing and possible contraventions of the Immigration Act.
The government has also increased cooperation with neighbouring countries to facilitate the return of their citizens.
Zimbabwe has been one of the countries most affected by the repatriation programme because of the large number of Zimbabwean nationals living and working in South Africa.
Malawi has also been heavily represented in the departure figures.
The latest figures indicate that the movement of undocumented people out of South Africa is not a single operation but a continuing process involving multiple ports and different nationalities.
The Border Management Authority records movements through the country's ports of entry, while Home Affairs uses the information in determining immigration status and related administrative measures.
The government has also introduced changes intended to improve the country's migration-management framework.
The Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection was approved by Cabinet earlier in 2026. The policy framework is intended to address weaknesses in the immigration and citizenship system, including fraud, abuse of immigration processes, national-security concerns and service-delivery problems.
The wider debate, however, remains politically and socially sensitive.
South Africa experienced widespread anti-immigration protests earlier in 2026, with demonstrators demanding stronger action against undocumented migration.
Those protests were accompanied by incidents of violence, looting and intimidation in some areas. More than 900 people were arrested during anti-migrant protests in July, according to international reporting.
The violence has raised concerns about the distinction between lawful immigration enforcement and attacks carried out by private individuals or vigilante groups.
Government institutions are responsible for enforcing immigration legislation. Individuals and community groups do not have the legal authority to assault, intimidate or forcibly remove foreign nationals simply because they believe those people are undocumented.
Human-rights organisations have also raised concerns about vigilante intimidation directed at migrants, business owners and communities.
This distinction is particularly important as immigration enforcement expands.
A foreign national found without valid documentation can be subject to the legal immigration process, including detention, verification and possible deportation or repatriation. The process is different from an unlawful attack by members of the public.
The government has repeatedly emphasised the importance of maintaining public order while enforcing immigration laws.
For foreign nationals living legally in South Africa, the current enforcement environment also highlights the importance of maintaining valid documentation.
Passports, permits, asylum documentation and other immigration records can determine whether an individual is legally entitled to remain in the country.
People whose documentation has expired or whose status has changed may need to approach the relevant authorities to determine what steps are available to them.
For employers, the increased inspections also carry consequences.
Businesses employing foreign nationals are expected to comply with immigration and labour legislation. Employers that knowingly employ people who do not have the necessary authorisation can face legal consequences.
The increase in inspections therefore places additional responsibility on businesses to verify the status of employees and maintain appropriate records.
The government says the objective is not simply to remove people from South Africa but to establish a more controlled migration system in which lawful movement is facilitated and unlawful entry is addressed.
The border-security component is particularly important because undocumented migration is often connected to wider concerns about smuggling, trafficking and cross-border crime.
However, undocumented status by itself does not establish that an individual has committed another criminal offence. Each allegation must be investigated separately and dealt with according to the law.
This distinction remains important in public discussions where immigration, crime and unemployment are frequently discussed together.
South Africa's immigration debate also has a significant regional dimension.
The country is one of the continent's major economic destinations and attracts workers, entrepreneurs, students, asylum seekers and refugees from across Africa and beyond.
Large numbers of people move between South Africa and neighbouring countries for employment, family reasons, trade and other activities.
Effective immigration management therefore has to balance border control with legitimate regional movement.
Government has said it intends to improve security while continuing to facilitate lawful travel and trade.
The latest departure figures provide evidence of how significantly enforcement has intensified since June.
Nearly 100,000 undocumented foreign nationals have been recorded as having left the country through the programme, while border authorities continue to intercept people attempting to enter outside designated ports.
The next stage of the government's strategy is likely to focus on maintaining the increased enforcement level while improving the systems used to distinguish between undocumented migration, legitimate asylum claims and lawful residence.
For foreign nationals already living in South Africa, the developments are likely to keep immigration documentation at the centre of attention.
For neighbouring governments, the growing number of returning citizens creates its own responsibility to support reintegration and ensure that people returning from South Africa have access to appropriate assistance where needed.
For South Africa, the challenge is broader: maintaining control over its borders and immigration system while ensuring that enforcement remains lawful, orderly and consistent.
The figures released this month show that immigration enforcement has entered a significantly more active phase.
With almost 100,000 undocumented foreign nationals recorded as having departed since June, increased border interceptions, more workplace inspections and continuing repatriation arrangements, South Africa is moving toward a more tightly controlled migration system.
At the same time, the humanitarian and social consequences of enforcement remain important.
The treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, the protection of foreign-owned businesses, the prevention of xenophobic violence and the distinction between lawful enforcement and vigilante action will continue to shape the country's immigration debate.
The immediate reality is that foreign nationals in South Africa are facing a much more intensive system of immigration checks than earlier in the year.
Those without lawful status may face detention and removal procedures, while those with legitimate legal status remain subject to verification and the requirement to comply with South African immigration law.
As authorities continue their operations, the central question will be whether the stronger enforcement programme can be sustained while protecting lawful migrants, asylum seekers and refugees and maintaining public order.
The latest figures indicate that the government's campaign has already produced a substantial number of departures. The coming months will show how the country balances stronger border enforcement with the legal, economic and humanitarian realities surrounding migration in Southern Africa.