Kenya
1Min
South Africa
Dec 17, 2025
Seven Kenyan nationals who were allegedly working illegally at a Johannesburg-based centre processing applications of “refugees” to the United States have been arrested, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed.
Seven Kenyan nationals who were allegedly working illegally at a Johannesburg-based centre processing applications of “refugees” to the United States have been arrested, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed.
Home Affairs said the arrests followed a routine, lawful operation conducted on 17 December 2025 in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.
The operation was triggered by intelligence indicating that several Kenyan nationals had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had unlawfully taken up employment at the centre.
The department spokesperson Carli van Wyk said earlier visa applications submitted on behalf of Kenyan nationals to perform this work had been lawfully declined.
“During the operation, seven Kenyan nationals were discovered engaging in work despite only being in possession of tourist visas, in clear violation of their conditions of entry into the country,” the department said.
All seven were arrested, issued with deportation orders and will be prohibited from re-entering South Africa for five years.
Carli van Wyk stressed that no United States officials were arrested during the operation, which it said did not take place at a diplomatic site. It further denied reports that members of the public or prospective refugees were harassed.
She said the enforcement action formed part of intensified efforts over the past 18 months to address what it described as longstanding abuse of South Africa’s immigration and visa system.
“The operation reinforces Home Affairs’ commitment to enforcing the rule of law without fear or favour, as no person or entity is above these laws,” she said.
van Wyk added that the operation also reflected South Africa’s shared commitment with the United States to combating illegal immigration and visa abuse.
However, the department noted that the “presence of foreign officials apparently coordinating with undocumented workers naturally raises serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol”.
She said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has initiated formal diplomatic engagements with both the United States and Kenya to resolve the matter.
