The Department of Home Affairs has deported 109 344 people over the past two financial years, marking a significant rise in immigration enforcement.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said on Thursday that deportations increased by 46% between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years, attributed to operations such as Operation New Broom and the expanded use of biometric verification tools.
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Deportations rose from 39 672 in the 2023/24 financial year to 51 560 in 2024/25, representing a 30% increase. The trend continued in 2025/26 with a further 12% rise to 57 784 deportations by 31 March 2026.
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“These numbers show that we are now reaping the fruits of reforms focused on greater efficiency and intensified enforcement against immigration violators,” Schreiber said in a statement.
The Minister urged people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily before being apprehended, warning that deportation could result in a ban on legal re-entry to South Africa.
The department has deployed drone and body camera technology to support enforcement operations. An Electronic Travel Authorisation system, which will record biometric data for all foreign nationals entering South Africa, is set to be expanded to enhance the detection of people in the country illegally.
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