BMA commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato said that about 15,924 individuals were intercepted while trying to make their way into the country without proper documentation.
“They were attempting to enter into SA without the requisite documentation through our ports and the vulnerable segments of the borderline. In this instance, after intercepting them, we took their fingerprints, declared them undesirable and banned them from re-entering SA for five years and keep the record in the biometric movement control system and got them deported,” he said.
Masiapato said most of the undocumented individuals deported were intercepted at Lebombo land port in Mpumalanga.
“The majority of these individuals were intercepted at and around Lebombo land port of entry at 6,808, followed by Beitbridge land port of entry at 1,891.”
Masiapato said that they have issued 98 fines against various conveyancers such as public buses for transporting the undocumented immigrants into SA.
“During this period, we imposed about 98 administrative fines on various conveyancers, especially bus companies, to the value of R3,540,000 for transporting illegal migrants at the cost of R15,000 a person as per Section 50(3) of the Immigration Act of 2002.”
In the same period, the BMA managed to facilitate the legitimate movement of over 5-million travellers across 71 ports of entry, with 52 being land ports, 10 international airports and nine being seaports.
During the festive season, the BMA also confiscated drugs that were set to make their way into the country illegally.
“Various types of illicit drugs were confiscated, including 1.4kg of crystal meth, commonly known as tik, 3.5kg dagga, 4mg heroin, 24 mandrax tablets and 10 tablets of dapoxetine.”
Their operations also stopped unauthorised food from getting into SA.
“We managed to intercept and seize a number of unauthorised consignments of crayfish, canned meat products, infested tinned gammon ham, wheat beer, hazelnut paste, hatching poultry eggs, packs of water and various other plants and animals, such as canines.
“In this regard, we would like to commend the majority of travellers for after our call to avoid bringing alien invasive species as well as foreign pests associated with plants, animal products and other regulated goods into SA,” said Masiapato.
Thousands blocked from SA during recent festive season
Border authority pounces on drugs, alien species
Image: Thulani Mbele
Over 27,000 individuals were denied entry into SA over the festive season and some of them include suspects on the Interpol red list.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) announced at a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday that of the 27,005 individuals it deported, 15,924 were undocumented, 6,455 were undesirables and 4,626 inadmissibles. The period under review was from December 6 last year to January 18 this year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the authority in October as one of the means to address the issue of illegal immigrants in the country.
Image: Ntswe Mokoena
BMA commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato said that about 15,924 individuals were intercepted while trying to make their way into the country without proper documentation.
“They were attempting to enter into SA without the requisite documentation through our ports and the vulnerable segments of the borderline. In this instance, after intercepting them, we took their fingerprints, declared them undesirable and banned them from re-entering SA for five years and keep the record in the biometric movement control system and got them deported,” he said.
Masiapato said most of the undocumented individuals deported were intercepted at Lebombo land port in Mpumalanga.
“The majority of these individuals were intercepted at and around Lebombo land port of entry at 6,808, followed by Beitbridge land port of entry at 1,891.”
Masiapato said that they have issued 98 fines against various conveyancers such as public buses for transporting the undocumented immigrants into SA.
“During this period, we imposed about 98 administrative fines on various conveyancers, especially bus companies, to the value of R3,540,000 for transporting illegal migrants at the cost of R15,000 a person as per Section 50(3) of the Immigration Act of 2002.”
In the same period, the BMA managed to facilitate the legitimate movement of over 5-million travellers across 71 ports of entry, with 52 being land ports, 10 international airports and nine being seaports.
During the festive season, the BMA also confiscated drugs that were set to make their way into the country illegally.
“Various types of illicit drugs were confiscated, including 1.4kg of crystal meth, commonly known as tik, 3.5kg dagga, 4mg heroin, 24 mandrax tablets and 10 tablets of dapoxetine.”
Their operations also stopped unauthorised food from getting into SA.
“We managed to intercept and seize a number of unauthorised consignments of crayfish, canned meat products, infested tinned gammon ham, wheat beer, hazelnut paste, hatching poultry eggs, packs of water and various other plants and animals, such as canines.
“In this regard, we would like to commend the majority of travellers for after our call to avoid bringing alien invasive species as well as foreign pests associated with plants, animal products and other regulated goods into SA,” said Masiapato.
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