News / National
Zim deportees from RSA tops 15 000 in 5 months
06 Mar 2012 at 13:18hrs | Views
SOUTH AFRICA has deported nearly 15,000 Zimbabweans since October last year, officials have revealed.
The International Organisation for Migration estimates that up to 1.5 million Zimbabweans live in South Africa, yet only 275,000 applied for permits and met the December 31, 2010, deadline.
South Africa resumed deportations on October 7 last year, and 7,755 Zimbabweans were sent home in the first three months of the operation up to December 31, said Charles Gwede, the assistant regional manager at Beitbridge Border Post.
South Africa lifted a two-year deportation moratorium after asking illegal Zimbabwean immigrants to regularise their stay through a liberal work permit system.
Between January 1 and March 2, he added, South Africa deported a further 7,177 Zimbabweans.
Gwede said they have so far handled 14,932 deportees coming into the country through Beitbridge Border Post since the exercise resumed on October 7.
The largest number of deportations on a single day during the period was recorded on December 5 when 672 illegals were disgorged at Beitbridge.
On record, however, authorities say the largest number of people ever deported on a single day was 1,600 brought in a convoy of 16 buses on February 13, 2007.
The International Organisation for Migration estimates that up to 1.5 million Zimbabweans live in South Africa, yet only 275,000 applied for permits and met the December 31, 2010, deadline.
South Africa resumed deportations on October 7 last year, and 7,755 Zimbabweans were sent home in the first three months of the operation up to December 31, said Charles Gwede, the assistant regional manager at Beitbridge Border Post.
South Africa lifted a two-year deportation moratorium after asking illegal Zimbabwean immigrants to regularise their stay through a liberal work permit system.
Between January 1 and March 2, he added, South Africa deported a further 7,177 Zimbabweans.
Gwede said they have so far handled 14,932 deportees coming into the country through Beitbridge Border Post since the exercise resumed on October 7.
The largest number of deportations on a single day during the period was recorded on December 5 when 672 illegals were disgorged at Beitbridge.
On record, however, authorities say the largest number of people ever deported on a single day was 1,600 brought in a convoy of 16 buses on February 13, 2007.
Source - Byo24News
