By Levy Masiteng
More than 45,000 foreign nationals have been processed at the Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC) in Musina, Limpopo, as government continues a large-scale operation to manage deportation and voluntary repatriation requests.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs said it was told during the first day of its urgent two-day oversight visit that more than 38,000 foreign nationals had been processed for deportation or repatriation procedures in less than a week, as of Saturday, 4 July.
“The information presented to the committee and the observations made on site indicate significant progress in this regard,” said committee chairperson Mosa Chabane.
Committee members assessed the implementation of immigration legislation, operational readiness and compliance with constitutional and humanitarian obligations at the facility.
In a statement, the committee said it was satisfied with the coordination between the Department of Home Affairs and its partners in managing one of South Africa’s largest recent repatriation operations.
“Such cooperation is essential to ensuring that immigration laws are implemented effectively while safeguarding the dignity and fundamental rights of every individual throughout the process,” Chabane said.
The TRPC was established under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration to register, verify and process undocumented foreign nationals.
The centre is located on land owned by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and can accommodate up to 20,000 people at a time.
While expressing satisfaction with operations at the site, MPs raised concern over the continued underfunding of the Border Management Authority, saying the issue had again emerged during briefings.
The committee also commended the Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provincial governments and municipalities for providing resources to support the national operation.
The large-scale processing operation followed heightened tensions ahead of the unofficial 30 June deadline publicised by anti-illegal immigration groups, which called on undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
In response, government established temporary repatriation centres to facilitate voluntary repatriation and warned that only law enforcement authorities were responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
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To speed up the process, government centralised verification and processing in Musina, allowing foreign nationals to complete documentation before travelling to the Beitbridge Border Post for repatriation.
Completing Home Affairs verifications and SAPS clearances in Musina before people reached Beitbridge was intended to prevent delays and improve processing at the port of entry.
The Portfolio Committee said it would continue its oversight programme at the Beitbridge Port of Entry.
