The Border Management Authority (BMA) says over 27 000 people were refused entry into South Africa during the festive season.
The BMA Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato briefed the media in Pretoria on the 43-day operation that was conducted in December.
He says most of the people deported were trying to enter the country illegally and some had been flagged by Interpol.
“924 individuals who were trying to enter South Africa without documentation, after intercepting them, we fingerprinted them, we declared them undesirable and then we banned them from re-entering South Africa for the period of five years.”
“We also got them deported. The majority of these individuals were intercepted at the port of entry to Mozambique followed by a land port of entry to Zimbabwe,” says Masiapato.
Masiapato says the agency remains concerned about some bus companies that continue to transport to South Africa undocumented travellers from neighbouring countries.
Masiapato says meetings have been held with some public transport operators on transporting illegal migrants into South Africa.
“We further engaged the leadership of Cross Border Road Transport Agency and agreed that bus companies should comply with the conditions of their cross-border permits. Otherwise, if they continue to transport illegal migrants into South Africa, such permits will be withdrawn,” he adds.
Border Management Authority briefs the media on festive season border operations:
