Home Affairs Boosts Processing Capacity for Malawian Nationals Leaving South Africa

• Department of Home Affairs accelerates repatriation efforts for Malawian nationals in South Africa
• Over 7,000 Malawians repatriated as anti-immigrant tensions escalate and deadlines loom
• Police conduct biometric screenings to ensure justice amid humanitarian repatriation operations

DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL— The Department of Home Affairs is expanding its data-capturing capacity to accelerate the repatriation of thousands of Malawian nationals from South Africa. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber spoke at a temporary repatriation site in Durban, where thousands of displaced immigrants gathered following recent anti-immigrant campaigns. Schreiber confirmed that the government is collaborating with the Malawian consulate to speed up verification and increase the frequency of departing buses.

According to a video @Zanele_Shenge posted on her X account, over 7,000 Malawians have been repatriated or deported, while an estimated 8,000 people remain at the site awaiting processing. The operation intensified after anti-immigrant groups issued a June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave, leading to widespread job losses, evictions, and threats of violence against African migrants. Many individuals lack valid passports, requiring the Malawian High Commission to issue emergency group travel documents.

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Home Affairs speeds up Malawian repatriations

Schreiber stated that increasing administrative capacity is crucial to ensure the process moves swiftly. He emphasised that a rapid and orderly relocation serves the long-term interests of the surrounding community, the South African government, and the affected individuals who chose to return home.

The South African Police Service is simultaneously conducting biometric screening on all individuals to ensure that persons wanted for local crimes do not evade justice. The government reiterated that the massive operation must be conducted humanely while maintaining strict compliance with existing national immigration laws, which declare undocumented individuals undesirable for a period of five years.

View the video on X here:

Mob violence forces Malawian nationals to flee Pietermaritzburg

In a related article, Briefly News reported that a mob attack that killed a 29-year-old Malawian national at the Jika Joe Informal Settlement in Pietermaritzburg triggered mass displacement, forcing foreign nationals to seek refuge in local religious centres. Malawian officials are urging the South African government to establish an additional temporary facility in Pietermaritzburg to process those wishing to return home voluntarily.

Source: Briefly News