South Africa has closed a temporary repatriation centre it established near the border with Zimbabwe two months ago to process foreign nationals who were escaping xenophobic attacks, the government said on Thursday.
The Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre, established on 26 June, was set up to manage a surge of migrants seeking refuge and repatriation assistance following violent anti‑migrant incidents in several South African cities.
The unrest, driven by rising unemployment and anti‑foreigner sentiment, forced thousands of documented and undocumented migrants — mainly from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique — to cross into neighbouring countries.
According to the Inter‑Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC), 48,948 foreign nationals were processed at the Musina centre, with 95.5 percent of them found to have initially crossed the border outside designated ports of entry.
The centre’s operations were scaled down early this month as arrivals declined, prompting its closure on 21 August.
Authorities cited reduced demand and high maintenance costs as reasons for decommissioning the facility.
The IMC stressed that deportations and repatriations will continue under existing immigration laws and international obligations, coordinated through authorised facilities such as Lindela.
“Immigration enforcement, deportation and facilitated repatriation remain the exclusive responsibility of the State,” the IMC said, warning communities against undertaking “unlawful identity checks, intimidation, removals or other acts of vigilantism against any person.”
JN/APA