<\/p>\n
According to a statement, 586 individuals were processed for repatriation after being identified as undocumented. The first group departed on Thursday morning, with 268 passengers transported on a chartered flight to Nigeria. A second flight, carrying the remaining individuals, is scheduled for June 15, 2026.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
All affected individuals were issued with Emergency Travel Documents by the Nigerian High Commission, enabling their return. The department acknowledged the cooperation of Nigerian authorities throughout the process, describing the operation as coordinated and compliant with legal requirements.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In line with the Immigration Act, all those repatriated have been declared undesirable persons, meaning they are barred from re-entering SA for a period of five years. The department said this measure is part of efforts to ensure accountability and deter immigration violations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Home Affairs reiterated that all foreign nationals residing in the country are required to hold valid documentation, including visas or permits, and must ensure their status remains lawful at all times. The department urged individuals without compliant status to regularise their stay through appropriate legal channels.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber said the operation reflects a broader commitment to upholding the rule of law. Schreiber said deportations and repatriations have increased by 46% over the past two years, indicating strengthened enforcement capacity.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Schreiber also outlined ongoing reforms aimed at improving immigration management. These include the rollout of an Electronic Travel Authorisation system to capture biometric data, the transition from the green bar-coded identity book to Smart IDs, and the development of a digital identity framework.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Schreiber emphasised that these measures are designed to enhance border control, reduce fraud and strengthen compliance monitoring. At the same time, Schreiber urged the public not to engage in violence or unlawful actions against foreign nationals, stressing that immigration enforcement must remain the responsibility of the state.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":36823,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-36822","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South Africa's (SA) Department of Home Affairs has confirmed the repatriation of Nigerian nationals found to be residing unlawfully in South Africa, as part of ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws and restore compliance.\r\n","published_date":"","news_description":"South Africa's (SA) Department of Home Affairs has confirmed the repatriation of Nigerian nationals found to be residing unlawfully in South Africa, as part of ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws and restore compliance.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36839,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36822\/revisions\/36839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=36822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}