(SOUTH AFRICA) South Africa deported a record number of people in the 2024/25 financial year as the government stepped up removals amid a deepening jobs crisis. The Department of Home Affairs recorded 46,898 deportations in the year ending 31 March 2025—an 18% rise from 39,672 the year before and the highest tally in at least five years. Minister Leon Schreiber said the increase reflects stronger enforcement and closer work between immigration officials, the Border Management Authority (BMA), and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Some parliamentary documents listed a higher total—51,650 deportations—but the minister’s April 2025 statement set 46,898 as the official number. The push cost taxpayers nearly R80 million for the year.
Official rationale and enforcement measures
Officials say the numbers show a commitment to “upholding the rule of law” and building better systems to track entries and exits. The department credits targeted joint operations, especially Operation Vala Umgodi, and new digital tools that flag overstays and repeated unlawful crossings. Home Affairs has also pointed to work under way to automate border gates and strengthen data-sharing across agencies.
Minister Schreiber has framed the 2024/25 deportations as proof that a stricter border and internal enforcement strategy can be carried out at scale. The department says three main factors drove the increase:
- Enhanced inter-agency operations involving Home Affairs, BMA, and SAPS
- Digital checks to tighten exit-entry records and detect overstays
- Focused joint actions, such as Operation Vala Umgodi, targeting illegal mining networks and linked cross-border movement
Officials argue this approach protects scarce public services and formal jobs while restoring public confidence in immigration controls. The wider plan includes:
- Stronger biometric systems
- Better case tracking
- Regular sweeps at known hotspots for visa overstays and unlawful work
Important: The nearly R80 million annual deportation bill covers detention logistics, transport, escorting officers, and administration. Budget critics question whether large removals—without lasting gains in growth or hiring—deliver value for money.
Scale and international comparison
By scale, South Africa’s removals put it among the world’s most active enforcers. South Africa’s total for 2024/25 exceeds the combined deportations reported for France (22,000) and Germany (20,000) over a similar period. This comparison underscores how far Pretoria has moved toward an enforcement-first model at a time when many economies are debating whether to tighten or expand migration as part of their labor strategies.
Economic backdrop and human impact
The surge in deportations comes as South Africa wrestles with an extreme jobs crisis:
- Unemployment rate: 33.2%
- People out of work: more than 12 million
- Employment among working-age adults: fewer than 4 in 10
That unemployment figure rises by about 1,000 people each day. Growth has been weak for years, and many state-owned firms have stumbled. Contributing factors include:
- Budget pressures and graft
- Power cuts and poor rail service
- Uneven industrial policy
These constraints have weighed heavily on hiring and made migration a flashpoint in national politics and community life.
Local effects
In townships and informal settlements, competition for entry-level shifts is intense. Families struggle with rising transport and food costs. Local shopkeepers, waste recyclers, and informal traders—South Africans and foreign nationals alike—operate on thin margins. Police raids and immigration checks, while lawful, can disrupt fragile sources of income.
Civil society groups say politicians often scapegoat foreigners for problems stemming from years of poor governance and low growth. Human rights monitors reported fewer violent xenophobic attacks in 2024 than in earlier years, but still documented organized harassment, business closures, and forced displacements. NGOs recorded 59 incidents of xenophobic discrimination, affecting nearly 3,000 people during 2024.
Activists warn that campaign speeches in the 2024 general election, which often targeted migrants, created a climate of fear that lingers in workplaces and schools.
Legal and procedural developments
Courts have intervened on due process. In September 2025, a high court granted an interim order barring the deportation of any foreign national who states an intention to apply for asylum under the Refugee Act. Lawyers say the order reaffirms basic protections for people seeking refuge and reminds officials that removals must not shut the door on lawful asylum claims. The Department of Home Affairs has said it will follow court rulings while continuing to enforce immigration law.
Five-year deportation trajectory
The deportation numbers over the past five years show a clear upward trend:
| Financial year | Deportations |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 14,859 |
| 2021/22 | 22,560 |
| 2022/23 | 20,093 |
| 2023/24 | 39,672 |
| 2024/25 | 46,898 |
Officials say the trend reflects better coordination and new systems coming online. Community leaders counter that mass removals risk hardening social divides unless paired with policies that expand formal work.
Global context and alternatives
Global patterns are mixed: some countries (UK, Australia) tightened rules in 2024–25, while others (Japan, South Korea) opened labor channels to offset aging workforces. South Africa stands out for emphasis on removals rather than regularization or formal pathways for undocumented workers.
Business groups argue that a combination of enforcement and clear legal routes would help match employers with labor needs in:
- Agriculture
- Caregiving
- Construction
They say this would reduce illegal hiring and better meet sectoral demand.
Effects on households and employers
For undocumented residents, the past year has been uncertain. Those picked up in workplace inspections can face swift removal if they lack valid status. Legal aid groups report more clients who missed renewal windows or were caught by backlogs and now risk deportation.
Employers face:
- Penalties for hiring undocumented workers
- Business losses when inspections halt operations
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, firms relying on casual labor are particularly sensitive to sudden enforcement spikes and struggle to keep production steady when raids surge.
Government plans and priorities
The government insists enforcement will continue. Officials say they will push ahead with:
- Data-driven operations
- Border automation to cut illegal entry
- Targeting those who criminally exploit migrants (traffickers, corrupt brokers)
The department says collaboration with SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority is central to those efforts.
Community groups call for a reset in public debate, arguing that focusing only on deportations doesn’t solve the jobs crisis and risks pitting poor communities against each other.
Their proposals include:
- Streamlined legal pathways for critical sectors with clear quotas
- Faster permit renewals to reduce overstays caused by backlogs
- Work-seekers’ databases to link residents—citizens and lawful migrants—to open roles
- Targeted local hiring incentives tied to training and apprenticeships
Unions want tighter labor inspections to stop wage theft and unsafe conditions. Business associations seek predictable rules and faster visa processing for scarce skills. Both sides agree that informal hiring will persist if legal channels remain slow and costly.
Political dynamics and outlook
In the 2024 campaign, several candidates used anti-immigrant rhetoric, blaming foreign nationals for crime and joblessness. That messaging resonated in some high-unemployment areas. However, labor economists caution against equating migration with the primary cause of job loss; they point to slow growth and failing infrastructure as larger constraints on hiring.
Looking ahead, the key test will be whether enforcement can be paired with credible economic reforms. Without stronger growth, better energy supply, and functioning rail and port systems, firms are likely to keep headcounts tight. That suggests that even if deportations stay high, the job market may not improve without deeper policy fixes.
Human stories and final note
Families at the center of these trends—South Africans searching for work and foreign nationals trying to regularize their status—face daily uncertainty. A mother in Gauteng who cleans houses two days a week bears the same rising grocery bill as a Malawian street vendor worried about a spot check. Their futures depend less on headlines and more on whether the economy begins creating steady jobs.
For official policy updates, enforcement notices, and public statements, readers can consult the Department of Home Affairs: https://www.dha.gov.za. Home Affairs is the lead agency on deportations, with the BMA overseeing border posts and SAPS supporting operations. Minister Leon Schreiber has said the department will keep reporting deportation figures and cost data as part of its annual planning cycle.
Officials also encourage people who qualify for legal protection—such as asylum seekers—to follow lawful procedures and seek advice, especially in light of the court order safeguarding those who state an intention to claim asylum.
As the 2025/26 year unfolds, the core tension remains: a government leaning on enforcement to manage migration, and a society struggling with mass unemployment. The numbers are stark—nearly 47,000 removals and millions without work. Whether those trends improve will depend on choices far beyond border posts: growth policy, labor reform, and a national effort to turn short-term fixes into lasting jobs.
This Article in a Nutshell
South Africa carried out 46,898 deportations in the 2024/25 financial year, the highest in at least five years and an 18% rise from 2023/24. Authorities attribute the increase to enhanced inter-agency operations—Home Affairs, BMA and SAPS—digital checks to detect overstays, and joint actions like Operation Vala Umgodi. The effort cost nearly R80 million and prompted debate over effectiveness amid a severe jobs crisis: unemployment at 33.2% and over 12 million people without work. Courts issued an interim order in September 2025 protecting those who state intent to seek asylum. Experts and civil groups urge pairing enforcement with legal labor pathways, faster permit renewals, and structural economic reforms to address root causes and avoid social divisions.
