South Africa spent nearly R80 million deporting illegal immigrants in the 2024/25 financial year, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told parliament in a written reply to questions from the Patriotic Alliance.
The department deported 46,898 people during the financial year ending March 31, marking an 18 percent increase from 39,672 deportations the previous year, according to government data released Wednesday.
Schreiber revealed the figures in response to Patriotic Alliance MP Millicent Mothapa, who requested a breakdown of deportation costs over three financial years. The department spent R32 million in 2022/23 and R67 million in 2023/24.
More than 113,000 people were deported during the three-year period, the minister said in his parliamentary reply.
“This marked increase in the effectiveness of enforcement operations demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rule of law,” Schreiber said in a statement.
The 2024/25 deportation figures represent the highest number in at least five years and triple the number conducted in recent years, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
The increase followed improved collaboration between the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority, the South African Police Service and local law enforcement.
South Africa’s deportation numbers exceed those of France and Germany combined over the same period. France deported 22,000 people while Germany deported 20,000, according to government data.
The Patriotic Alliance, which joined South Africa’s government of national unity in 2024, has campaigned on stricter immigration enforcement. Party leader Gayton McKenzie has called for mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
Deportation costs averaged approximately R1,700 per person in the 2024/25 financial year, based on the figures provided.
The department plans to increase inspections at restaurants, shops, farms and mines by more than 50 percent to identify people employed illegally.
South Africa has long been a destination for migrants from across Africa seeking economic opportunities. The country hosts more than 71,000 refugees and received over 100,000 asylum applications in 2024.
