Home affairs repatriates 586 Nigerian nationals after illegal stay

The department of home affairs has processed 586 Nigerian nationals for repatriation after they were found to be illegally residing in SA.

The first repatriation flight, carrying 268 passengers, departed on Wednesday morning, said home affairs.

The department said all individuals processed for repatriation were issued with emergency travel documents by the Nigerian High Commission, enabling their exit from SA and return to Nigeria.

“In accordance with the Immigration Act, all affected individuals have been declared undesirable persons and are consequently prohibited from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years,” the department added.

A second flight, which will transport the remaining individuals, is scheduled to depart on Monday.

The department reiterated that all foreign nationals residing in SA were required to be in possession of valid visas or other authorisations that entitled them to lawfully remain in the country.

It said foreign nationals had to ensure their immigration status remained compliant with South African immigration laws at all times.

Home affairs minister Dr Leon Schreiber said his department was committed to enforcing SA’s immigration laws and restoring the rule of law. “Our ongoing orderly and lawful deportations and repatriations, which have increased by 46% over the past two years, is clear evidence of this.”

He said the department’s reform agenda – which includes the ongoing scale-up of the Electronic Travel Authorisation to record biometrics for every foreigner entering SA, the replacement of the fraud-prone green ID book with smart ID cards, and the introduction of a cutting-edge digital identity system - was systematically enhancing its capacity to enforce immigration laws.

“In this context of ongoing progress, the public is again urged to never engage in violence or take the law into their own hands.”

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