President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government will crack down on employers who employ illegal foreigners, increase penalties on them, tighten the country’s borders and close the gap in migration policies as the country grapples with growing tensions over illegal migration.
Ramaphosa made the remarks on Sunday while addressing the nation on illegal immigration and the presence of undocumented foreigners in most communities.
“Employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers and exploit their vulnerability are breaking the law. They undermine labour standards. They undermine fair competition. They undermine labour standards and opportunities for South Africans. Such conduct will attract far stronger penalties and far stricter enforcement,” Ramaphosa said.
In his address, Ramaphosa acknowledged that most South Africans are frustrated by the issue of illegal foreigners, and also acknowledged that corruption within the department of home affairs and at the borders played a role.
“We are taking further measures to secure our borders. We will therefore continue to invest in modern technology, infrastructure and personnel to ensure that our borders are secure while facilitating legitimate trade, travel and economic activity.”
Ramaphosa said the government would continue the crackdown on corruption and inefficiencies in the department of home affairs. “We must recognise that illegal immigration is often enabled by corruption. Officials who sell documents, facilitate unlawful entry or abuse public office for personal gain betray the trust of the South African people.”
Ramaphosa said the department of home affairs would also phase out the green identity document. Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber has previously said the government’s target was to phase it out by 2029 because it had become increasingly vulnerable to fraud and identity theft.
“The green ID book is intricately linked to issues of illegal migration, smuggling and other offences because it is the core pathway that is used to commit identity theft, and we are rapidly moving to replace those green IDs,” he said.
TimesLIVE
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