As South Africa faces the daunting challenge of an estimated three million immigrants —representing roughly 5.1% of the nation's population — authorities are intensifying their efforts to combat illegal migration, a situation compounded by pressing economic and social concerns.
The Department of Home Affairs has been proactive over the past two years, deporting more than 109,000 undocumented migrants in an attempt to manage the growing number of individuals living in the country without legal status.
The department said the surge in deportations since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) reflects a decisive shift in immigration control, driven by intensified operations, stricter enforcement and the deployment of advanced surveillance technologies.
Figures released by the department show deportations increased by 30% from 39,672 in 2023/24 to 51,560 in 2024/25, before rising by a further 12% to 57,784 in 2025/26, a cumulative increase of 46% over two years, bringing the total to 109,344 by the end of March.
This week, Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said the figures demonstrate the impact of intensified enforcement and operational reforms.
“These numbers show that we are now reaping the fruits of reforms focused on greater efficiency and intensified enforcement against immigration violators. Through ongoing campaigns like Operation New Broom, as well as the increasing use of biometric verification tools, we have already increased deportations by 46%.
“Our message remains clear: If you are in South Africa illegally, self-deport now before we find you and ban you from ever entering our country legally in future.”
The crackdown comes amid growing strain on South Africa’s immigration system, with enforcement becoming increasingly costly and complex. Government data shows that nearly R80 million was spent on deportations in the 2024/25 financial year alone.
At the same time, border authorities continue to intercept thousands attempting to enter the country illegally, with close to 10,000 people stopped at ports of entry in just one quarter of 2025.
Schreiber said the department is intensifying its focus on deterrence and modernisation, pointing to increased use of technology to strengthen immigration controls.
“While enforcement efforts are clearly yielding fruit and scaling up every year, we remain equally focused on deterrence and modernisation. The deployment of drone and body camera technology has already made a difference, while the impending scale-up of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system will record biometrics for every foreigner who enters our country, dramatically enhancing our ability to detect and arrest anyone who is in South Africa illegally,” he added.
With deportations at record levels, South Africa faces intensifying migration pressures. According to Statistics South Africa, immigrants account for roughly three million people, while estimates suggest that between 500,000 and one million may be in the country without legal documentation.
The Star
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