South Africa's increased immigration enforcement and repatriation drive has generated about R341 million in costs, prompting a parliamentary warning that other Home Affairs services could lose funding.
The Home Affairs deportation costs followed the 30 June anti-immigration protests and the subsequent increase in enforcement, deportations and repatriations. Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs said on 25 August that the department's annual deportation budget had already been depleted.
Home Affairs deportation costs reach R341 million
According to the committee, the Department of Home Affairs incurred approximately R341 million in expenditure related to the expanded operation. It has submitted a request to National Treasury for R292 million in unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure.
There is no guarantee that Treasury will approve the full request. Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane warned that Home Affairs may therefore have to absorb some or all of the cost from its existing budget.
The committee said that outcome could force the department to redirect money from programmes already included in its plans. It did not identify which services would be cut, but warned that key milestones and the quality of public services could be affected.
Parliament demands scrutiny of spending
The committee has asked Home Affairs' internal audit unit to accelerate its examination of expenditure and procurement linked to the operation. It said all procurement must be checked for compliance before the Auditor-General conducts the mandatory audit.
Parliament also raised concerns that the Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs and the Refugee Appeals Authority of South Africa had not provided all the information requested about their operational limitations. Outstanding migration-management matters will be considered once the requested information is supplied.
The oversight warning does not amount to a finding that the deportations or procurement were unlawful. It means Parliament wants the spending, planning and procurement decisions examined before reaching conclusions.
Government seeks help with repatriation expenses
Home Affairs has started engaging governments whose nationals were deported, seeking contributions towards repatriation costs. Parliament welcomed the diplomatic effort but cautioned that reimbursement negotiations could take time and should not replace sustainable domestic budgeting.
The committee called for stronger cooperation between Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. It also argued that the exhausted deportation budget points to the need for a broader strategy addressing border management, immigration processing and enforcement capacity.
Immigration enforcement capacity expanding
In July, Home Affairs announced that it was recruiting 301 additional immigration officers. The department said this would increase the number of frontline officers from 868 to 1,169, a rise of about 35%.
Minister Leon Schreiber described the recruitment as part of a wider effort to create a secure, digital and functional immigration system. The government has also launched an Electronic Travel Authorisation platform aimed at making lawful entry faster while improving biometric checks and risk assessment.
These reforms place two competing pressures on the department: stronger enforcement against unlawful entry and residence, and faster, more reliable services for South Africans and lawful travellers. Parliament's concern is that emergency enforcement spending could undermine the service improvements unless funding and planning are stabilised.
Migration enforcement remains a state function
The increased operations followed nationwide protests during which activists demanded that undocumented migrants leave South Africa. Reuters reported that most marches on 30 June were peaceful, although some areas experienced violence, looting and intimidation after thousands of foreign nationals had already fled or sought repatriation.
Immigration status must be determined through lawful state procedures. Community groups do not have the authority to detain, evict or deport people, and undocumented status does not remove a person's protection under South African law.
Featured image credit: AI-generated editorial illustration by OpenAI for Umma Media. The image is symbolic and does not depict an actual border post, passport or government document. Suggested alt text: “Balance scale with passport and documents representing South Africa's immigration enforcement costs.”
Sources
- Parliament: Home Affairs Committee warning on deportation expenditure – 25 August 2026
- South African Government: Home Affairs recruits 301 immigration officers – 6 July 2026
- Reuters: South African anti-immigration protests and repatriations – 30 June 2026
