South Africa Spends R17 Billion Deporting Undocumented Migrants in Two Years
South Africa has spent about R17 billion deporting undocumented migrants to their countries of origin over the past two financial years, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has disclosed.
Schreiber revealed the figure in a written response to a parliamentary question from Inkatha Freedom Party MP Liezl van der Merwe.
According to the minister, the majority of those deported during the period were nationals of Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Deportees also included nationals from countries in South America, Europe and Asia.
The disclosure comes amid a significant increase in South Africa’s deportation operations. Government figures show that 57,784 people were deported in the 2025/26 financial year, compared with 14,589 in 2020/21, reflecting a sharp rise in enforcement activity.
The government’s tougher approach has coincided with growing political and public pressure over undocumented migration, with anti-immigration groups calling for stricter border controls and the removal of people without legal status.
The spending has also become a wider regional issue. South Africa has previously sought reimbursement from some countries for the costs of repatriating their nationals, as the government faces mounting expenses from increased immigration enforcement.
The latest figures highlight the significant financial cost of South Africa’s immigration enforcement strategy, even as the government argues that deportations are necessary to uphold immigration laws and strengthen border control.
