The Border Management Authority (BMA) has stopped over 50,000 illegal immigrants from trying to enter South Africa for the 2024/2025 holiday season, according to Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber.
This represents a 215% increase over 2023/2024, when 15 924 attempted illegal border crossings were stopped, according to Schreiber.
During the 2024/2025 season, the BMA also seized illicit goods worth R690-million, including illegal cigarettes, and made 322 arrests.
According to Schreiber, the advent of drones and body cameras was a significant innovation that helped to secure and enhance the management process as a whole.
Along with other technologies, he claimed that drone piloting had demonstrated its worth and that it was now necessary to permanently incorporate it into the BMA’s operations.
“The use of these drones on a pilot basis at just five ports led to the detection of 2 188 additional people who attempted to illegally enter our country,” said Schreiber.
“That is 2 188 people who would be walking among us illegally now if it were not for the use of this technology.”
According to him, these developments are a component of a larger plan to digitise South Africa’s ports of entry, emphasising the automation of entry and exit processes.
9 491 aircraft processed
Over the holiday season, at least 6 159 individuals were found to have overstayed their visas, and 1 923 were denied entry because they had false documentation or did not comply with the requirements.
The BMA managed the movement of over 5-million travellers, marking a slight increase from the previous year.
This involved handling 58 938 trucks, 6 071 buses, 12 974 minibus taxis, and 395 189 private vehicles.
The BMA also processed 9 491 aircraft and 660 vessels, further demonstrating its capacity to manage large volumes of cross-border movement.
“These movements were generally efficient, with 66% of imports and 74% of exports cleared within 30 minutes, although this is an area that can be improved upon through automated procedures.
“The top 10 ports of entry, which include OR Tambo International Airport, Beitbridge, and Lembombo, accounted for 81% of processed movements, highlighting the strategic importance of these border posts,” he said.
