Arrest of illegal immigrants during Johannesburg raids
8 August 2019
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Advocate Bongani Bongo, has welcomed the arrest of illegal immigrants during a multi-organisation raid in inner Johannesburg’s central business district (CBD).
“It must remain clear that while legal and developmental immigration is encouraged and can be beneficial to the growth prospects of the country, we remain steadfast that illegal immigration must be discouraged at all times,” Adv Bongo emphasised.
Migration is a reality that South Africa must accept and leverage to benefit the country’s drive for development and economic growth. Nonetheless, migration must happen within the framework of international and national law. It is this context that the committee welcomes the arrest and possible deportation of these illegal immigrants.
The committee continues to emphasise the need for the Department of Home Affairs to strengthen its application processes to remove blockages for asylum seekers and critical skills immigrants. Furthermore, the committee has emphasised the need to fight corruption to ensure the credibility of the department’s system and documentation.