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South Africa detains nearly 60,000 undocumented foreigners since January
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

South Africa detains nearly 60,000 undocumented foreigners since January

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • South African security forces have detained nearly 60,000 undocumented foreigners since January as part of operations against irregular immigration and other crimes.
  • In July alone, 16,208 undocumented foreigners were arrested across the country's nine provinces.
  • Authorities have processed 77,184 repatriations, but figures from some African countries suggest a much higher number of their citizens are in South Africa.

South African security forces have apprehended 59,947 undocumented foreigners since January, intensifying operations against irregular immigration and other criminal activities amidst a wave of xenophobic attacks. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) reported that the country "remains stable" and that "law and order prevail" despite these challenges.

July saw a significant surge in detentions, with 16,208 undocumented foreigners arrested during daily operations targeting wanted suspects, illegal weapons, drugs, organized crime, and undocumented individuals across all nine provinces. These operations are conducted legally, humanely, and in accordance with the South African Constitution, with enhanced security measures at border areas.

While authorities have processed 77,184 repatriations by August 3, figures from various African nations indicate a substantially higher number of their citizens residing in South Africa. For instance, Zimbabwe alone reports over 115,000 repatriations. Tensions persist, fueled by anti-immigrant marches, though NATJOINTS notes a significant decrease in these protests since a major demonstration on June 30.

Despite isolated and localized protests, primarily in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, most have remained peaceful. Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili cautioned against the spread of misinformation on social media, particularly videos falsely linking crimes to irregular immigration. She emphasized that vigilantism is unacceptable and that operations will continue within legal and constitutional frameworks.

permanecen estable" y "prevalecen la ley y el orden

— Tebello MosikiliDescribing the security situation in South Africa.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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