Authorities have arrested three suspected facilitators for aiding and abetting illegal crossings at the Beitbridge Border Post, as the Border Management Authority wrapped up its 10-day Easter operations. Over the past nine days, more than 500 people attempting to enter South Africa illegally were intercepted, including at least 12 minors aged between three and 12 who were stopped in the last two days.
Border Management Authority Commissioner Michael Masiapato explained that individuals intercepted either at the port of entry or outside it are brought to the border facility, where their fingerprints are taken and recorded on the system. They are then declared undesirable and “V-listed,” meaning they are barred from re-entering South Africa for five years. “The processing and deportation of individuals can take as little as 30 minutes, depending on capacity,” he stated. Once deported, individuals are handed over to immigration authorities in the neighbouring country, where their details are recorded to confirm the transfer.
Cases involving children are handled differently. Intercepted minors are placed in the care of the Department of Social Development and taken to a place of safety, while authorities coordinate with neighbouring countries to reunite them with their families. Masiapato noted that when an adult claims a child without documentation, officials cannot immediately verify the relationship, a precaution taken to prevent possible child trafficking.
He also highlighted affordability as a key challenge, particularly in Zimbabwe, where many people cannot afford passports, while others avoid using them frequently to prevent them from filling up. Masiapato added that South Africa remains a major destination for economic opportunities, with most undocumented migrants coming from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho. He acknowledged that ongoing economic pressures in these neighbouring countries continue to drive migration.
