BMA Busts 25 Illegal Entrants at OR Tambo International Airport
- Twenty-five travellers were caught trying to enter South Africa through the OR Tambo International Airport illegally
- The Border Management Authority said some of the culprits used fake visas while the others failed to meet entry requirements
- BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato applauded his team, adding that port-of-entry detection systems needed to be improved
Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered crime and current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.
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Twenty-five people were caught trying to enter the country without meeting the legal requirements at the OR Tambo International Airport.
Over two dozen illegal travellers deported
The Border Management Authority said a routine inspection on 4 June 2024 found 13 Bangladeshis and three Pakistanis possessing fake visas. According to @TheBMA_SA, another Bangladeshi, a Nigerian, three Pakistanis, and four Ghanaians failed to meet the relevant entry requirements upon arrival.
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According to SA News, BMA authorities caught the travellers on flights from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ghana, and Nigeria and deported them under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations.
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato commended the BMA officials at ORTIA and added that detection systems needed to be advanced:
“We will continue to enhance our capabilities and escalate cooperation with ACSA security as well as collaborate with international partners to address and combat such illicit activities effectively."
South Africans call for heightened border security.
Many netizens felt that more action was required to secure the country’s ports of entry.
@LouisChanguion said:
“It says a lot of the country of departure control systems.”
@796a15362d7246f added:
“They will definitely challenge their deportation, and our courts will agree with them, and the home affairs minister order to be the legal costs.”
@katlego_le31085 commented:
“Our borders should installed heavily with cameras and serious border controls.”
@zandy_thabethe asked:
“How do they even get into the plane without or with fake documents?”
@SmartA39714192 advised:
“Still give that department to Gayton... BDMA must not act as if they’re now effective all of a sudden.”
82 illegal immigrants arrested trying to enter SA
Briefly News reported that 82 Ethiopians were detained in Mozambique for illegal entry en route to South Africa through Zimbabwe.
The group, reportedly on its way to South Africa via Zimbabwe, lacked proper documentation.
Police spokesperson Mateus Mindú reported the group was found travelling in a cargo truck.
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Source: Briefly News
