The 95 Libyan nationals that were recently arrested in White River, Mpumalanga, are scheduled for deportation on Sunday morning.
Sunday World understands that the Libyan nationals are set to fly out from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Mbombela on Sunday at 9am.
Midsize aircraft catches attention of locals
The curiosity of the locals was aroused on Saturday evening when they spotted a mid-size aircraft and heightened police presence at the airport.
These developments come after the Department of Home Affairs stated that it was welcoming the court decision that the 95 Libyan nationals that were arrested in White River, Mpumalanga, be deported.
In that regard, the Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, has instructed the department to proceed with speed while observing all the legal processes to ensure that the deportations are conducted swiftly.
This comes after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew charges against the Libyans. They had been arrested at a suspected military camp in Mpumalanga in July.
“Consequently, Home Affairs officials were in court to secure the confirmations for deportation from the magistrate, as this will pave the way for their deportation,” the department said on Thursday.
Home Affairs officials are finalising logistics for the deportation.
“As indicated earlier, deportation was among the options Home Affairs considered when working with other law-enforcement authorities,” it said, adding that it stands ready to send the group back to its home country,” the department said.
In a surprising turn of events this week, the NPA withdrew the case against the 95 Libyans. They were arrested at a military-style training camp in Mpumalanga.
Overnight, the White River magistrate’s court roll was updated, bringing forward a case originally scheduled for August 26 to Thursday.
This followed an urgent application by the accused’s legal team.
The men had initially faced charges under the Immigration Act after being apprehended at an unaccredited camp in Masoyi, near White River, more than a week ago.
The camp allegedly conducted military training without proper authorisation, casting a shadow of suspicion over the group. Additional reporting Gov News
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