South Africa has announced plans to begin charging foreign governments, including Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi and other countries, for the cost of deporting their nationals who are found to be living in the country without valid immigration documents.
The move is part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy by South African authorities as the country intensifies crackdowns on undocumented migrants amid rising public concern and growing anti-immigration sentiment.
According to reports, the new policy will require countries of origin to reimburse South Africa for expenses incurred during deportation processes. These include costs related to detention, transportation, documentation and administrative procedures.
Officials say the decision is aimed at reducing the financial burden on the South African government, which currently spends significant public funds on immigration enforcement operations, including raids, arrests and deportations of undocumented foreigners.
Countries mentioned in the reports include Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which are among nations with a notable number of citizens living and working in South Africa.
The government argues that the policy is necessary due to increasing pressure on public resources and the rising number of undocumented migrants in the country. Authorities say some deportation cases involve repeat offenders who re-enter the country after being removed.
South Africa has also stepped up enforcement operations in major cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, where immigration authorities have intensified checks on documentation and workplace compliance.
Officials maintain that countries whose citizens are deported should take greater responsibility for their nationals abroad, especially in cases where immigration laws have been violated repeatedly.
At present, the proposal remains under consideration, and no official implementation date has been announced by South African authorities. If adopted, the policy would mark a significant shift in how deportation costs are handled, placing more financial responsibility on countries of origin rather than the host nation.
