Government has processed over 500 buses for the repatriation of thousands of individuals back to their respective countries, Home Affairs Minster Dr. Leon Schreiber said.
"In terms of the repatriation process overall, there were over 30 000 individuals out of eThekwini alone that we've repatriated. The latest number of buses from the government side that we have processed is 525 buses, so indeed, we're looking at tens and thousands that's already been successfully repatriated," the Minister said.
Schreiber, who is also part of government's Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration, visited the Beitbridge border post in Musina on Wednesday.
"It's a massive operation. It's really impressive to see how we have managed to do this as the IMC as the collective. What we have done is to say, instead of having these decentralised locations across the country, where people have to be processed by Home Affairs and by the SAPS [South African Police Service], let's create one facility where one can go, where we have a secure space where we can have all of the different government departments on site," Schreiber said.
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Speaking to media, the Minister described the process as complex.
"It is a major logistical operation and we've moved all of that work to Musina. At the moment, we have about 4000 people still at the Showgrounds. Our intention is to work through that and for all new arrivals to go to the temporary repatriation facility built by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. I visited both sites earlier," he said.
Schreiber described the sites as offering a much better environment that is dignified.
"We are going to have ablutions, water, food and all of the processing work in one location. The message is the work continues," he said.
The Minister's visit follows planned demonstrations across the country, which took place on Tuesday, 30 June.
Earlier this week, government assured citizens that it is actively managing migration through lawful, coordinated and constitutional measures.
READ | Government reaffirms commitment to managing migration
"Our objective remains clear: a South Africa where immigration laws are respected and enforced, where borders are secure, where communities are safe, where businesses compete fairly, and where human dignity and constitutional values are upheld," a statement issued by the IMC said.
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