Key Points
- President Ramaphosa announced a tougher approach to illegal immigration.
- Government will intensify deportations of undocumented migrants.
- Dedicated immigration courts will be established.
- Employers hiring undocumented workers will face stricter penalties.
- An Intelligent Population Register with biometric data will be introduced as part of a future Digital ID system.
- Green ID books will eventually be phased out.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a series of measures aimed at tackling illegal immigration, securing South Africa’s borders and strengthening the enforcement of immigration laws, while warning against xenophobia, violence and lawlessness.
Addressing the nation from the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Sunday evening (June 7), Ramaphosa said concerns about migration and illegal immigration were being raised by South Africans.
He said many South Africans were worried about jobs, pressure on public services, safety, security and whether the country’s borders were secure.
“These concerns are real. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be addressed,” Ramaphosa said.
The President however stressed that illegal immigration was not the cause of all South Africa’s economic challenges, saying faster economic growth, greater investment, industrial expansion and job creation remained the long-term solution.
Ramaphosa said government had adopted a Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management and would implement a number of measures to strengthen immigration controls and deal with illegal immigration.
Among the key measures announced was an intensified crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals residing illegally in South Africa. He said the Department of Home Affairs, Border Management Authority, South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies would increase efforts to identify and deport undocumented migrants.
Government will also establish dedicated immigration courts to speed up deportation processes and increase workplace inspections targeting companies employing undocumented foreign nationals.
The President added that employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers and exploit them would face stricter penalties, including possible imprisonment.
Ramaphosa also said that government is taking steps to combat corruption within the immigration system, including the establishment of an Intelligent Population Register containing biometric data for every person in the country. Green barcoded ID books will eventually be phased out.
While acknowledging widespread frustration about illegal immigration, Ramaphosa warned against individuals taking the law into their own hands.
“No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality,” he said.
The warning follows deadly unrest linked to anti-immigrant tensions.