South African authorities processed 68,138 foreign nationals between June 14 and July 24, 2026, with the majority repatriated to their home countries as part of an intensified migration management exercise, officials have confirmed on Sunday.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the repatriations were carried out through the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre, while the Border Management Authority also processed 72,906 repatriations at ports of entry between June 7 and July 14. She noted that dedicated immigration courts concluded 28,736 immigration-related cases between April 1 and the end of June.
The Government said it has launched 93 joint border operations since April to combat illegal migration, human trafficking and drug smuggling. Authorities have also registered 354 migration-related arrests and prosecutions, with a further 69 suspects arrested in the Eastern Cape last weekend. Kubayi stressed that migration management must remain a lawful state function and warned against unauthorised identity checks targeting foreign nationals.