EThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba says only one of about 300 foreign nationals processed by authorities on Thursday, 21 May, was found to be in the country illegally.
Xaba briefed the media at the Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Moore Road in KwaZulu-Natal. The foreign nationals were taken to the centre for verification of their immigration status following engagements between the Southern African Refugee Forum and senior NATJOINTS officials.
Xaba said immigration officials processed roughly 300 foreign nationals, and only one individual was confirmed to be undocumented. He added that details regarding the location of a repatriation facilitation office and its procedures will be announced later.
The mayor also called for a new asylum seeker documentation system with tamper proof security features to prevent fraud. He said individuals who fail to transition to the new system within a set period should face arrest and deportation. He urged communities to accept those whose legal status has been verified, while undocumented individuals must be arrested and deported.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said patrols will be stepped up in hot spots as foreign nationals say they fear for their safety. He confirmed that two or three assault cases have been opened by foreign nationals and are under investigation. He added that most complaints of intimidation were hearsay and could not be investigated.
Netshiunda said the verification process will be conducted by an integrated NATJOINTS team. Individuals found to be in the country illegally will be processed for return to their countries of origin.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also condemned recent acts of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa. Speaking at a summit in Botswana, he said the attacks do not reflect government policy or the values of South Africans. He called on government, civil society and migrant communities to work together to combat xenophobia and uphold the dignity of all Africans.