MPs bemoan cost of migrant repatriations after June protests

The parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs has expressed concern about the financial implications of unforeseen expenditure incurred by the department of home affairs after the June 30 anti-illegal-immigrant protests and subsequent increase in immigration enforcement, deportations and repatriations.

The committee was told the department incurred about R341m in expenditure related to the process, and a request for R292m in unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure has been submitted to National Treasury.

Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane said the absence of an express guarantee that the expenditure would be reimbursed creates a significant risk the department may have to absorb some or all the costs from its existing baseline.

“This is an untenable situation considering the importance of the department of home affairs and its plans to improve services to the population,” said Chabane.

MPs are concerned that should National Treasury not approve the request, the department could be compelled to reprioritise funds away from programmes contained in its plans. This could result in delays to key milestones and have a direct impact on the department’s ability to deliver quality services to the public.

The committee said it has taken note of the department’s efforts to engage with the governments of countries whose nationals have been deported with a view to securing reimbursement. While welcoming the start of the diplomatic engagements, the committee warned such processes are likely to be lengthy.

“Of particular concern is that the department’s annual deportation budget has been depleted because of the significant increase in deportations and repatriations during this period,” it said in a statement.

“The committee believes this highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to address South Africa’s porous borders.”

The government this week closed its operations at the Musina temporary repatriation processing centre near the Beitbridge port of entry in Limpopo.

The centre was established on June 26 as a temporary intervention to manage increased migration pressures and facilitate the lawful, orderly and dignified processing of undocumented migrants requiring assisted repatriation. It brought together the department of home affairs, the Border Management Authority (BMA), South African Police Service (SAPS), departments of health and social development and humanitarian organisations at a single processing site.

The latest operational report recorded 48,948 foreign nationals were processed at the Musina centre. Of these, 95.5% were classified as border jumpers and 4.5% were recorded as having reported through a port of entry.

Nationally by July 24 the government had processed 68,138 migrants during the increased migration pressures that began in June, with most repatriated.