By Levy Masiteng
Ten foreign nationals were detained during a Durban Metro Police immigration enforcement operation after nine allegedly failed to produce valid documentation to be in South Africa, while another was found working without a valid work permit.
The operation unfolded after officers inspected three shops where several people had fled after law enforcement arrived to disperse individuals allegedly loitering in an area suspected of drug-related activity.
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According to the Durban Metro Police Service, members of the By-Law Compliance Unit responded to a complaint from the City Manager about a location allegedly being used for the sale of illegal drugs, where stones had reportedly been placed on the pavement to mark the spot where drugs were being sold.
“Members were instructed to remove the stones and disperse people loitering in the area. As officers approached the scene, several individuals fled. Some of the suspects ran into nearby shops, prompting members to inspect three shops in the vicinity,” Metro Police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said.
He said officers found 10 foreign nationals during the inspections. Nine could not produce valid immigration documents, while one was allegedly employed without a valid work permit.
All 10 individuals were escorted to the Border Management Authority for verification of their immigration status and further processing.
The Metro Police also said that the old Durban Drive-In site is no longer operating as a repatriation centre for foreign nationals.
“The City assisted foreign nationals who voluntarily wished to return to their home countries. That process has now ended, and the City is no longer able to provide repatriation assistance. Foreign nationals who wish to return to their countries are encouraged to make their own travel arrangements,” Zungu said.
The announcement followed the closure of the temporary Durban Drive-In repatriation site at the end of June after government relocated its voluntary repatriation operations to a processing centre in Musina, Limpopo.
The facility had been established to assist mainly undocumented Malawian nationals who voluntarily opted to return home amid heightened concerns over anti-illegal immigration protests.
eThekwini Municipality said thousands of people were assisted through the programme before the site closed, thanking government departments, humanitarian organisations and volunteers who supported the operation.
