South Africa Repatriates 2,745 Foreigners in Week After Ramaphosa Address

South Africa repatriated 2,745 foreigners in the week after President Cyril Ramaphosa called for tougher enforcement against illegal immigration, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said on Sunday. "As of last night, the number we can report is 2,745 repatriations that have come in this period since the president spoke," Schreiber told reporters. He added that the figure is a moving target.

The government said most of those repatriated were in the country illegally. Citizens of Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique accepted voluntary repatriation after mobs carrying sticks, whips and shields marched through parts of the country and ordered foreigners without residency papers to leave by June 30.

Approximately 7,000 Malawian nationals had been sheltering in an open field in the eastern port city of Durban.

Eight buses commissioned by the Malawian government and 10 additional buses provided by South Africa began moving people on Sunday. Some 560 people, including about 200 children, departed Durban for Malawi on Sunday, Malawi Consul General Max Biwi said. Among those boarding, some carried babies on their backs and small bags of belongings.

"I'm relieved we are finally leaving. It's better than living in fear here," said Fortunate Chilenje, 25, from Blantyre, Malawi's commercial capital. She had lived in South Africa for three years. Laina Nala from Mangochi in southern Malawi asked to be dropped as close to her home as possible rather than continuing to Blantyre.

"Blantyre is too far and expensive from there," she said. For Hassan Hasha, 27, a debt linked to his journey to South Africa still hung over his head. " The government said on Sunday it did not operate refugee camps and had no intention of establishing them, even on a temporary basis.