Question NW268 to the Minister of Home Affairs

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09 March 2017 - NW268

Profile picture: Hoosen, Mr MH

Hoosen, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

How many foreign nationals have died whilst in his department’s custody at (a) the Lindela Repatriation Centre and (b) any other holding area in each of the last 10 calendar years?

Reply:

(a) The requested statistics of the number of people who died whilst in custody at Lindela is as follows:-

2007 – 10

2008 - 5

2009 - 1

2010 - 3

2011 - 3

2012 - 4

2013 - 2

2014 - 6

2015 - 7

2016 – 6

All these deaths occurred after the deportees were referred by the clinic at Lindela to the Leratong hospital in Krugersdorp. Only one person actually died within the facility in 2016 shortly after arrival at the facility. The person did not show visible signs of illness.

(b) The police cells at the South African Police Services (SAPS) are utilised for the detention of suspected or confirmed illegal immigrants, pending their direct deportation to their countries of origin or transferred to the Lindela Holding Facility. The SAPS statistics for any deaths in detention are not available to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

Prior to the proclamation of the “Determination of Places of Detention of Illegal Foreigners pending deportation” in Government Gazette No.534 in terms of s34 (1) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 on 22 June 2015, illegal immigrants were also held in correctional facilities. The statistics of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) for the period prior to the declaration are not available to the DHA.

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