The Border Management Authority (BMA) has dismissed perceptions that black Africans are disproportionately targeted in the enforcement of South Africa’s immigration laws, saying such views are driven by how enforcement actions are reported.
The BMA briefed the media in Pretoria alongside the Department of Home Affairs, where it released figures detailing the number of people and goods intercepted while attempting to enter or leave the country illegally.
According to the authority, the largest number of undocumented migrants intercepted originate from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. These groups are often labelled economic migrants and have historically accounted for the highest number of deportations due to their proximity to South Africa.
However, the BMA said this contrasts with undocumented foreign nationals from Europe, the United States and other regions, including Eastern Europe, who are frequently intercepted at major airports such as OR Tambo International, Cape Town International and King Shaka International Airport.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said enforcement actions at airports occur daily but receive little public attention because they often involve small numbers of individuals who are denied entry and returned on the same flights they arrived on.
“When large groups are intercepted at land borders, those cases attract media attention, creating the impression that enforcement is focused on Africans,” said Masiapato.
He revealed that more than R80 million was spent in the past year on deporting undocumented foreign nationals to destinations outside the African continent, underscoring that immigration enforcement applies to all nationalities.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said many undocumented migrants from wealthier countries enter South Africa on 90-day tourist visas and then overstay. He stressed the need for investment in biometric systems to better detect visa overstays and improve compliance.
Schreiber also raised concerns about delays in processing visa extensions, warning that inefficiencies in the system can contribute to non-compliance with immigration laws.