Overview
- President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a national address on Sunday announcing a government-approved five‑pillar migration strategy that focuses on enforcement, border security, anti‑corruption, legal reform and continental cooperation.
- The plan lists immediate operational steps including dedicated immigration courts, stepped-up workplace inspections and deportations, phased relocation of refugee reception centres to border posts and an Intelligent Population Register with biometric data.
- Ramaphosa warned that only authorised state agencies may enforce immigration law and explicitly condemned vigilante actions after anti‑migrant groups set a June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave.
- Regional diplomatic fallout and coordinated returns are already under way, with the Border Management Authority confirming the departure of 933 Mozambican nationals through Lebombo and other countries repatriating or seeking assurances for their citizens.
- Political parties and civil groups welcomed firmer action but said rapid, transparent implementation and human‑rights safeguards will be the test of whether the plan reduces unrest or risks further abuses.