Media statement by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on migration

Introduction

Members of the Media

Let me express our sincere thanks to you for joining us once again as the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration. We have just concluded our IMC meeting which sits every Friday to receive progress reports from the NATJOINTS on the implementations of the Comprehensive approach for managing migration as announced by the President on the 7th of June 2026. We meet today to update the nation on the significant progress made since our last engagement on 14 June 2026, and to reaffirm the government's commitment to managing irregular migration through lawful, coordinated and constitutional means.

The President of the Republic established this Committee to oversee the execution of the five-point strategy which includes: a crackdown on violations of the law and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals; securing our borders through deployment of ground sensors, satellite monitoring and drones; strengthening of the country's migration system; closing the gaps in laws and policies; and working with other countries on the continent. We deal with progress made these areas in greater detail below.

Managing irregular migration through deportations and repatriation
We are making substantial progress with the deportation and repatriation of the foreign nationals across the affected provinces. You will recall that over and above the work that we have been undertaking in enforcing our immigration laws, mostly through deportations from our Lindela Repatriation Centre, several countries have come forward to offer the voluntary repatriation of their respective nationals.

Among these are Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, with Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo being the latest to make the request. As you are aware, the repatriation process is voluntary and requesting countries bear the primary responsibility for transportation cost and management of logistics in this regard. Under normal circumstances, the responsibility of the host country only involves verification and issuance of orders to leave. However, in certain circumstances the need does arise for financial and humanitarian assistance which is handled on a case-by-case basis.

As you might have observed from the scenes in Sherwood and Che Guevara, Durban Drive-in, eMsunduzi areas in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Malawian nationals' situation had become untenable in terms of numbers and the humanitarian emergency that has arisen henceforth. To date (close of business - 25/06/20206), a total of 15 162 Malawian nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation, and more are still undergoing the verification process for repatriation from various temporary repatriation centres in the country.

Given the gravity of this situation and the need to expedite the deportation and repatriation of these foreign nationals, we have taken a decision to extend the jurisdiction of the Musina Refugee Reception Office in the Limpopo Province to also conduct verifications.

We have as a result activated all logistics relating to the repatriation of foreign nationals in Musina. We will work with various stakeholders such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Redcross, Feature Family, Musina Legal Advice Office (MLAO), Outreach foundation and Save the Children foundation to facilitate this process, including the Consul General of Malawi.

The IMC Technical Committee on Migration has identified a site that be utilised for the as a Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC) outside the town of Musina, in Limpopo Province. The repatriation centre currently utilised in Ethekwini will be closed and all Malawian nationals will be transferred once all logistics are finalised.

The proposed TRPC would:

• Enable faster processing and verification of undocumented foreign nationals.
• Facilitate more efficient clearance through the Beitbridge Port of Entry; and
• Serve as a decentralised processing point, reducing reliance on Lindela and improving overall system throughput.

This intervention is intended to support timely deportation, improved compliance with legal timeframes, and enhanced operational resilience under current surge conditions.

Crackdown on violations of the law
Let me reiterate the message from the State which was also communicated by the President in his response to oral questions in the NCOP yesterday. Enforcement of the law is the responsibility of the State. Thus, we are ready as a State to protect every person, citizens and foreign nationals, against any form of abuse and intimidation. We therefore declare that the 30th of June 2026 as a normal day for the country.

We further reiterate that:

• No unauthorised person is permitted to demand documentation or proof of nationality from anyone
• Blocking access for anyone to clinics, hospitals, schools or other public services is prohibited and against the law
• Violence and intimidation against foreign nationals and citizens is against the law and will be prosecuted in accordance with relevant legal prescripts
• Advocates and perpetrators of racism, sexism, xenophobia, tribalism, hate speech, Afrophobia and any other form of intolerances have no place in our country that is founded on the ideals of Ubuntu and our founding document for our constitutional democracy - our Constitution.
• Misinformation, incitement of hatred or violence and fake news spread on social media and any media platform will be prosecuted
• We reiterate that, while most employers comply with relevant immigration and labour laws, those employers who continue to employ and exploit undocumented migrants will be prosecuted in accordance with the Immigration Act.

We have intensified intelligence-led, prosecutorial-guided operations across the country. As at 21 June 2026, 89 incidents related to public order and incitement have been reported and registered as criminal cases, up from 53 the previous week. A total of 164 people have been arrested for offences including incitement of violence, contravention of the Regulation of Gatherings Act, and other related transgressions. Of these, 36 cases are already on the court roll, while 40 remain under active investigation.

Multidisciplinary enforcement operations led by the Deputy Ministers of Home Affairs, Police, and Employment and Labour have continued in several provinces. A recent operation conducted in Tshwane resulted in 35 arrests, including two employers charged with employing undocumented foreign nationals. SAPS, through its weekly Operation Shanela conducted across various provinces, reported the arrest of 5 056 suspects for contravention of immigration laws in the week of 15 June 2026 alone.

We have also noted, and condemn in the strongest terms, recent incidents of anti-immigration protests accompanied by looting of shops in the Free State on 16 and 18 June 2026. SAPS has opened cases and arrests have followed. We reiterate that vigilantism, looting and the targeting of individuals based on nationality are criminal acts that will be met with the full force of the law.

Securing our borders
The Border Management Authority (BMA), working with SAPS, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and other law enforcement agencies, has maintained heightened vigilance across all ports of entry in the three modalities of land, air and sea. Static checkpoints and roadblocks remain in place at key corridors leading to critical ports, including Beit Bridge.

The Minister of Defence has been designated by the IMC as the Ministerial Champion for the Urgent Improvement of Borderline Infrastructure. Mapping and identification of vulnerable areas along our borderline has been completed with input from the State Security Agency (SSA), and a priority crossing points have been identified for ministerial intervention. The South African National Space Agency (SANSA), mandated under the SANSA Act (36 of 2008), will be engaged through the National Policy Data Observatory to provide high-resolution satellite imagery for the monthly detection and monitoring of cleared vegetation, illegal road development, and emerging informal settlements along our borders. Further work is being done with various stakeholders including farmers on the borderline to secure our borders. This includes temporary measures being implemented on vulnerable segments of the border that will immediately secured.

Closing the gaps in legislation and policy
The Department of Small Business Development has initiated a program to accelerate small business registration to ensure all traders are legal and have the necessary permits to trade. The cumulative permitting and licensing data as at 24 June 2026 shows 100,733 applications received nationally, of which 42,151 relate to applications where the owner is a foreign national. Of the total applications, 26,367 were approved, including 6,749 approvals where the owner is a foreign national. KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of applications and approvals, while Gauteng recorded a high number of applications but comparatively fewer approvals.

DSBD, SALGA and COGTA have finalised a Joint Action Plan for capturing and registration of Informal Businesses. A joint interdepartmental Nerve Centre that includes DSBD/COGTA/SALGA will be established at a technical and political level to put more impetus to the registration process. To add to this effort, CoGTA in collaboration with traditional leaders will support municipalities to embark on business licensing activations and strengthen bylaw enforcement in rural areas.

With regards to the implementation of Spaza Shop Support Fund, a total of four (4) Spaza Shop Awareness Campaigns were conducted during June 2026 in Mpumalanga and Gauteng. The campaigns reached a total of 131 spaza shop owners and/or participants, a total of 22 applications were completed to support spaza shop owners.

With regards to the delivery of social services such as health, education and other services, South Africa is obliged to protect all children within the Republic consistent with its constitutional, and statutory as well as international and regional commitments. South African courts have consistently confirmed that these constitutional rights apply to all children in South Africa. While we are mindful of the concerns raised by various communities with regards to the provision of social services to migrants, we believe that the work that we are doing to manage migration will ensure the provision of such services to migrants is controlled, orderly and manageable and does not disadvantage South African citizens.

Working with other African countries
We continue to deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Last week, the Deputy Minister of DIRCO, Ms Moraka, met with a delegation from the Republic of Mozambique to provide feedback on the deaths of Mozambican nationals in May 2026.

The reports were alleging that six Mozambican nationals were killed because of the unrest that happened in Mossel Bay. On investigation by the South African Police Service, it was discovered that only two fatalities resulted from the unrest while the other three perished in an unrelated car accident, with another in an altercation with a fellow patron in a place of entertainment. The six have already been repatriated to Mozambique.

There is also one Malawian National who lost his life during a march in Pietermaritzburg. The body has not yet been repatriated. All cases have active dockets with assigned investigators, and public order policing deployments have been reinforced in affected areas to prevent any recurrence. SAPS Family Liaison Officers and the Department of Social Development continue to work with the High Commission on the repatriation of remains and family support.

We once again extend our sincere condolences to the families, the Government and the people of Mozambique.

We have adopted a coordinated approach which includes a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. Engagements with various stakeholders are not just prioritized by the IMC, but they are further spearheaded by the President. Since our last media briefing, we have undertaken the following engagements:

• On 15 June 2026: IMC meeting with Chapter 9 and 10 Institutions
• On 17 June 2026: President met with faith-based organisations
• On 17 June 2026: Deputy President met with Traditional and Khoi-San leaders
• On 19 June 2026: Virtual media briefing with SADC media houses
• On 19 June 2026: IMC oversight visit to the Lindela Holding Facility
• On 21 June 2026: IMC met with the representatives of the Zulu Royal House and the Traditional Prime Minister of the Zulu Nation. Subsequently, His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini made a public statement discouraging any violent attacks on foreign nationals
• On 23 June 2026: President met with Organised Labour
• On 24 June 2026: President met with Business
• On 24 June 2026: Minister and Acting Commissioner of Police met with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) and security industry CEOs
• On 24 June 2026: Acting Commissioner of Police meeting with SANTACO
• On 25 June 2026: IMC met with the representatives of the Siyafana Sonke Campaign movement
• On 25 June 2026: The KZN Premier convened a summit on undocumented foreign nationals with various government and non-government stakeholders

Our message to our stakeholders and the general public is that, the task of managing migration belongs to all of us. We all have a role to play.

• As we undertake all these actions, we are guided by our Constitution, our laws and our international obligations.
• We must work together to reduce tensions in our communities. We must stand together against violence, hatred, intimidation and all forms of intolerances.
• We must not allow anyone to exploit the genuine concerns of South Africans to incite violence, spread misinformation or destabilise our country.
• We call on all leadership structures; including, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, business, labour, political parties, diplomatic communitiy and every South African to work with government to support the actions we have announced to tackle illegal/irregular migration.
• We are a nation built with a significant contribution of migrants especially from the SADC region and we are more diverse, dynamic and stronger because of our rich history.
• By strengthening our laws and enforcing them fairly, we can tackle illegal migration while remaining true to our Constitution and to our shared humanity.
• We must not forget that the spirit of Pan-Africanism which inspired the founders of our democracy demands that we strive for a united and peaceful Africa

A Word on Misinformation, Vigilantism and the Rule of Law
We once again caution the public against the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms. Old, staged and manipulated videos and images continue to be circulated with the deliberate intent of inciting violence, fuelling attacks on foreign nationals and damaging South Africa's international standing. Government has held engagements with over-the-top (OTT) social media platforms to address violent incitement linked to the 30 June 2026 deadline being propagated by certain formations.

Government is unequivocal in its position. Section 16 of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, but this right does not extend to propaganda for war, incitement of imminent violence, or advocacy of hatred based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion. Section 17 equally guarantees the right to peaceful and unarmed assembly, regulated under the Regulation of Gatherings Act (1993). Any conduct that crosses these lines, whether by individuals, organised formations or so-called community enforcement groups, constitutes a criminal offence.

Conclusion
While the challenges of migration are complex, the path forward remains anchored in the Constitution, the rule of law, and our shared commitment as Africans. Government will not tolerate the circumvention of our immigration systems, nor will it permit acts of vigilantism, violence or intimidation directed at any community. We call on all undocumented persons within our borders to comply with our laws, and we call on employers to refrain from transgressing immigration and labour legislation.

We repeat that the 30th of June 2026 will be a normal day for the country, economic and social activities will not be disrupted.

We thank our partner countries for their cooperation in the safe, orderly and voluntary repatriation of their citizens. We further thank the people of South Africa for their continued patience and trust as we restore stability to affected communities.

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