JOHANNESBURG — South Africa is asking several African governments to reimburse it for the cost of sending tens of thousands of their citizens back home.
The request comes after South Africa deported or helped repatriate more than 80,000 immigrants, following protests and violence against illegal immigration.
According to the country’s Ministry of the Interior, which informed lawmakers on Tuesday, the country has spent nearly 18 million dollars on housing and transporting immigrants who demanded to return to their countries of origin.
According to official sources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent written requests for compensation to Malawi, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
The money covered buses to transport immigrants, temporary repatriation centers, and staff overtime, among other expenses. Tommy Makhode, Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs, described the costs as “unforeseen and unavoidable.”
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Some municipalities and government departments involved in the repatriation are demanding compensation from the Ministry of the Interior, as the costs had not been budgeted.
Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, has described the recent volume of repatriations and deportations as unprecedented.
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These departures occur in a context of growing tension over immigration in South Africa. Groups opposed to illegal immigration have organized protests, and some attacks against foreign citizens have strained relations with other African governments.Related stories
These groups blame immigrants for high unemployment, crime, and pressure on public services.
Some countries in the region have accused the South African government of not protecting their citizens, an accusation that the government has denied.
More recently, Ghana pushed for the situation in South Africa to be included on the agenda of an upcoming African Union meeting, a suggestion that was rejected by the continental body.
According to the latest government figures, 82,875 people have been voluntarily repatriated or deported since migration tensions began. However, figures published by the governments of the migrants’ countries of origin place the total at around 178,000.
These departures are part of a broader government offensive. Between April and July, 16,078 citizens, mostly from Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, were deported through the country’s Lindela Repatriation Centre.
South African police authorities announced last week that they would intensify operations against illegal migration and related crimes.
They claimed to have arrested nearly 60,000 people who are in the country illegally, including 16,208 arrested in July alone.
