Johannesburg – The Department of Home Affairs has revealed that it has deported more than 100 00 people from South Africa in the past two years.
In a statement made available to The Bulrushes on Thursday, 9 April 2026, the department said it “has carried out a total of 109 344 deportations, marking an exponential increase in annual deportations since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU)”.
The statement added: “This marked increase in law enforcement against immigration violations demonstrates the commitment of the department of Home Affairs and our partners in law enforcement to restoring the rule of law.
“During the first year of the current administration, the number of deportations increased by 30%, from 39 672 in 2023/24 to 51 560 in 2024/25.”
The department said this was followed by a further annual increase of 12%, to 57 784, in 2025/26.
Over the past two financial years, deportations have surged by a cumulative 46%, totalling 109 344 by 31 March 2026.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, said: “These numbers show that we are now reaping the fruits of reforms focused on greater efficiency and intensified enforcement against immigration violators.
“Through ongoing campaigns like Operation New Broom, as well as the increasing use of biometric verification tools, we have already increased deportations by 46%.
“Our message remains clear: If you are in South Africa illegally, self-deport now before we find you and ban you from ever entering our country legally in future.”
Minister Schreiber concluded: “While enforcement efforts are clearly yielding fruit and scaling up every year, we remain equally focused on deterrence and modernisation.
“The deployment of drone and body camera technology has already made a difference, while the impending scale-up of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system will record biometrics for every foreigner who enters our country, dramatically enhancing our ability to detect and arrest anyone who is in South Africa illegally.”
