South Africa Processes 53,499 Foreign Nationals for Deportation Since Campaign Launch

The South African government has deported or repatriated more than 53,000 foreign nationals since launching a migration management campaign five weeks ago, The BBC reported. Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said Sunday that authorities have processed 53,499 people for removal, a figure dominated by Malawians followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans.

Kubayi made the announcement at a news conference in Pretoria.

She stated that the process has allowed police to detain individuals wanted for alleged criminal activity. Kubayi added that enforcement of immigration laws will continue while urging protesters to avoid unauthorized searches of homes and businesses. The campaign follows weeks of anti-immigration protests that included violence, intimidation and looting, The BBC reported.

Demonstrators set an unofficial deadline of 30 June for all undocumented migrants to leave the country. Several nations including Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya have since flown some of their citizens home. President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged public concerns over immigration while condemning attacks on migrants and warning citizens against taking the law into their own hands, The BBC reported.

South Africa, the continent's wealthiest nation, has long drawn migrants seeking economic opportunities, some entering illegally.