ЮАР закрыла центр временной репатриации нелегальных мигрантов из-за снижения потока и экономии средств

Along with ten thousand labour inspector assistants, the other most visible reminder of the South African government’s efforts to curb illegal immigration is – now was – a Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC). Work on the centre, sited on what was a government experimental farm near Musina, started in June ahead of it becoming operational in July. After two months, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMCM), chaired by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, is closing it. From the outset the TRPC was identified as a temporary component of an overall government effort to identify and repatriate illegal immigrants which, as per an IMCM statement, processed nearly 49 000 foreign nationals in its brief operational life. All told, 48 948 foreigners, the majority Malawians, were put under government scrutiny to establish their bona fides. Over 95% (46 744) of those attended to at the TRPC were classified as people who entered South Africa outside designated land border posts, such as Beitbridge, Groblersbrug and Lebombo. The remaining 2 204 were reported as entering using a land border post. The main task of the TRPC, as per the IMCM, was to manage increased migration pressure and provide for “lawful and orderly processing of undocumented migrants requiring assisted repatriation”. The closure decision was prompted by “a sustained decline in the number of people requiring processing and repatriation assistance” with, on some days, no people seeking its services. Its operational capacity had already been reduced from 20 000 to about 1 500 people from 1 August as the number of arrivals declined. Contributing to the decision to close the TPRC was cost with hired equipment, generator fuel, additional security and deployment of officials specifically named. The TPRC decommissioning (dismantling started on 21 August) does not signal an end to deportations and repatriations which, according to the IMCM, remain “the exclusive responsibility of the State”. The disappearance of the TPRC will not affect other IMCM responsibilities, including those assigned to Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, its “ministerial champion for the urgent improvement of borderline infrastructure”. While not mentioned in a statement on the 26 August Cabinet meeting, border infrastructure is. Approving the borderline infrastructure improvement plan for 2026/30, the statement has this as strengthening and modernising South Africa’s borderline infrastructure in line with government’s broader migration management strategy. “The plan,” it reads, in part, “will be implemented across all seven border provinces and will improve border security, patrol mobility, operational response times, personnel safety, infrastructure maintenance and intergovernmental co-ordination, while deterring illegal cross-border incursions”. No details of envisaged or approved work is in the Cabinet statement. Previous indications had it Motshekga would use Department of Defence (DoD)/SA National Defence Force (SANDF) resources in the form of the Defence Works Formation and the SA Army Engineer Formation for infrastructure work alongside Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DWPI) expertise.