Pretoria – The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced that nearly 9 000 foreign nationals have been arrested in the last two weeks for breaching the country’s Immigration laws.
The arrests were made by the police, in close collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, Border Management Authority (BMA), and other government departments, which have sharpened their focus on immigration enforcement.
ISAPS said 8 896 foreign nationals were arrested nationwide in the past 14 days for contravening the Immigration Act (Act No. 13 of 2002).
Some of these individuals also face additional charges involving serious and violent crime, including murder, rape, and possession of unlicensed firearms.
“These figures reflect the government’s commitment to deal decisively with illegal immigration and related offences across the country,” police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said on Wednesday, 15 July 2026.
Last week, multiple operations conducted across Gauteng Province resulted in the arrest of more than 800 undocumented foreign nationals.
In one of the operations, police, supported by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and other stakeholders, arrested 217 suspects at Losberg Kloof Mine in Westonaria on 7 July 2026.
The operation targeted illegal mining activities and other related criminal offences in the area.
In Reitz, Free State, intelligence led officers to a biscuit manufacturing factory on 03 July 2026, where nine undocumented foreign nationals were arrested.
The suspects remain in custody pending immigration verification.
The municipality has been engaged, and the factory faces closure while investigations continue.
Authorities are weighing further action against the owner for alleged non-compliance.
In Limpopo, five suspects were recently arrested in Lephalale after they posed as Home Affairs officials and unlawfully demanded the removal of foreign nationals from Marapong township.
Meanwhile, the Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has issued a stern warning against unlawful intimidation and harassment of foreign nationals.
“Violence, whether perpetrated by South Africans or foreign nationals, destroys communities, erodes trust, and will never be tolerated as a solution to resolve disputes,” said Lieutenant General Dimpane.
“We urge communities not to take matters into their own hands.
“Our men and women in blue are hard at work in arresting those who contravene the laws of our country.”
