South Africa is seeking reimbursement from several African countries for the costs incurred in repatriating and deporting tens of thousands of their citizens amid heightened tensions over illegal immigration.
The country’s Home Affairs Department told lawmakers on Tuesday that the government had spent nearly $18 million accommodating and transporting migrants who were deported or requested to return to their home countries.
Officials said the foreign ministry had sent written requests for compensation to Malawi, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
The expenses covered buses used to transport migrants, temporary repatriation centres, staff overtime and other costs associated with the departures.
Tommy Makhode, Director-General of the Home Affairs Department, described the expenditure as “unforeseen and unavoidable.”
Some municipalities and government departments involved in the repatriation process have also sought compensation from the Home Affairs Department because the costs were not included in their budgets.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has described the recent volume of repatriations and deportations as unprecedented.
The departures have taken place amid heightened tensions over immigration in South Africa, where anti-illegal migration groups have staged protests and attacks against foreign nationals have strained relations with other African governments.
The groups have accused migrants of contributing to high unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
Several countries have also accused the South African government of failing to adequately protect their citizens, an allegation Pretoria has denied.
Ghana recently pushed for the situation involving African migrants in South Africa to be placed on the agenda of an upcoming African Union meeting. The proposal, however, was rejected by the continental body.
According to the latest South African government figures, 82,875 people have either voluntarily returned to their home countries or been deported since the migration tensions intensified.
However, figures released by the migrants’ home countries put the number of departures at about 178,000.
The repatriations and deportations form part of a broader government crackdown on illegal immigration.
Between April and July, 16,078 nationals, mainly from Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, were deported through South Africa’s Lindela Repatriation Centre.
South African law enforcement authorities said last week that they would intensify operations targeting illegal migration and related offences.
Officials said nearly 60,000 people living in the country illegally had been arrested, including 16,208 arrests recorded in July alone.
The latest developments are expected to place further pressure on South Africa’s relations with neighbouring and other African countries as Pretoria seeks to recover the costs of its intensified immigration enforcement operations.
