Question NW3655 to the Minister of Home Affairs
08 December 2023 - NW3655
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether his department keeps record of the number of foreign nationals who are released from police custody due to the failure of his department to verify their immigration status within 48 hours; if not, why not; if so, what total number of undocumented foreign nationals were released for the specified reason in each quarter from 1 April 2022 to date?
Reply:
The department keeps records of all foreign nationals in police custody whose immigration status is verified and it does not fail to determine such status within 48 hours. After determining the status, those that are found to be illegal foreigners, are charged and taken to court within 48 hours. As a result, 22 560 illegal foreigners were deported since 1 April 2022.
Should the court fail to confirm the deportation, the department issues the illegal foreigners with an Order to depart from the Republic, as they are not released into the custody of the Department.
END