Cape Town – The Border Management Authority (BMA) says over 6,000 individuals attempting to illegally enter or leave South Africa were intercepted during the 2025 Easter period.
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato told a media briefing on Monday that the operation covered all 71 Ports of Entry, with enhanced law enforcement, drone surveillance, and body-worn cameras contributing to a 61% increase in interceptions compared to 2024.
“Just in the period of 10 days, we have been able to intercept and apprehend a total of 6 253 persons who were attempting to enter and or exit South Africa illegally. This is an increase of 61% compared to the 2024 Easter operation interceptions which were sitting at 3 841.
[WATCH]
The BMA claims that, in just 10 days, they intercepted and detained 6,253 individuals who were attempting to enter or leave the country illegally and about 112 were arrested and handed over to SAPS. pic.twitter.com/Hcw3QIdvMK— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 28, 2025
“Out of these 6 253, about 4 795 of them were undocumented, about 1 059 were undesirables and 403 were found to be inadmissible for various reasons and some of those reasons were people with fraudulent visas or they just failed to produce yellow fever certificate,” Masiapato said.
In 10 days, 6,253 people were apprehended:
-
4,795 were undocumented,
-
1,059 were declared undesirable,
-
403 were inadmissible due to reasons like fraudulent visas.
Masiapato said that those without documents were fingerprinted, declared undesirable for five years, and deported.
In addition, 112 individuals were arrested for various offenses, and five vehicles, including a minibus and sedan at Beit Bridge, were seized while being smuggled out.
Movement across borders also increased, with over 1 million traveller movements recorded (an 8% rise from 2024). OR Tambo International Airport saw the most traffic, while Beit Bridge and Cape Town International Airport saw declines.
Two immigration officials at Beit Bridge were arrested for assisting illegal crossings, said Masiapato.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@SAgovnews
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
