Question NW2721 to the Minister of Home Affairs
18 August 2015 - NW2721
Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether his department has any reliable indicator of the number of undocumented foreign nationals in the country; if so, how many undocumented foreign nationals are currently residing in the country?
Reply:
The phenomenon of foreign nationals entering the country in contravention of the Immigration Act is difficult to quantify because, by their very nature, such movements do not take place through designated ports of entry and are therefore not recorded. As a result of this, the Department does not have a comprehensive view of the number of undocumented foreign nationals in the country.
Departmental systems do indicate, however, that since 2010, a total of 333 874 foreign nationals have overstayed the duration of their visas and have not departed through a designated port of entry. Further, in the first quarter of the 2015/16 financial year, 10 242 illegal immigrants were deported (and are therefore no longer residing in the country), whilst 4 860 were arrested during “Operation Fiela” as well as in normal operations. These figures only provide an indication of undocumented foreign nationals detected.