Schreiber says Home Affairs will do more to combat illegal immigration
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says South Africa won't be able to grow its economy and entice investment if it loses complete control over its borders.
FILE: Department of Home Affairs. Picture: Sethembiso Zulu/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - The clampdown on illegal immigration is set to intensify with new Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber promising more inspections across all sectors, with the aim of deporting the illegally employed.
He says South Africa won't be able to grow its economy and entice investment if it loses complete control over its borders.
The underfunding of the Border Management Authority (BMA) was a key issue raised by several parties in Parliament on Monday during a debate on the budget of the Home Affairs Department.
To date, the BMA has intercepted and deported almost 300,000 people who've attempted to enter the country illegally.
READ: Schreiber says he will be a minister of an ‘online’ Home Affairs system
Schreiber says his department will be doing more in this financial year to combat illegal immigration, with the help of the Department of Employment and Labour and the police.
"Home Affairs will increase the number of inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines by over 50%," Schreiber said.
The minister received support from several political parties including the Inkatha Freedom Party's Liezl van der Merwe.
"We need to reserve the spaza shop industry for South Africans, as well as the low-skilled job sector," she said.
Meanwhile, ActionSA's Lerato Ngobeni says despite being labelled xenophobic, her party is not against migration if it's done legally.