Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber has called for increased funding for the Border Management Authority (BMA), warning that without adequate investment, the state’s fight against illegal immigration and illicit trade will stall.
The minister has taken aim at what he described as political double speak where leaders who campaign on immigration concerns fail to allocate necessary resources.
“You will not find a politician who doesn’t complain about this problem. Some even exploit it for political gain. But when it’s time to put their money where their mouth is, they go quiet,” he said during a presentation at financial services company PSG.
The BMA, launched in 2023 after years of delays, is in its early phase with staffing, technology procurement and budgetary support lagging behind targets. The authority’s budget will increase from R1.7bn to R1.9bn over the next three years, which remains insufficient, says Schreiber.
It’s time for us to make sure that we’re able to identify people in the country legally and then we can start managing the problem from there
— Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber
“If we clamp down on illicit trade it will help improve tax collection, reduce pressure on law enforcement and strengthen the state’s fiscal position. It is the best investment SA can make,” Schreiber said.
Recent gains under the BMA, which consolidates functions previously spread across seven government departments, include the pilot deployment of drones which boosted detection of illegal crossings by 215%, he said.
“If we can invest in those kinds of resources we can have a real improvement and move towards creating a truly digital border environment,” Schreiber said, adding automation linked to biometric identification could cut corruption and inefficiency.
Once the domestic register is strengthened, Schreiber said the state would more effectively enforce compliance among foreign nationals.
“It’s time for us to make sure we’re able to identify people in the country legally and then we can start managing the problem from there. Our system has blocked the state from identifying the undocumented. By definition, these are people who are ghosts.”
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