SA government to scale down Musina Repatriation Centre as migration pressure ease

Government has announced that it will significantly reduce operations at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC) from 1 August, citing a sharp decline in the number of undocumented foreign nationals requiring processing.

The centre, which was established in June to respond to increased migration pressures and facilitate orderly repatriations, will see its capacity reduced from 20,000 to 1,500 people.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the decision followed an analysis of migration trends over the past three weeks and was approved by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) during its meeting on 24 July.

Kubayi said the phased scale-down would not affect government's ability to process undocumented foreign nationals or continue deportation and repatriation operations.

She stressed that government remains committed to managing migration in line with the country's immigration laws and the Five-Point Plan on Migration Management, while ensuring humanitarian support remains a key priority.

Since migration pressures escalated in June, government has processed 68,138 undocumented foreign nationals, the majority of whom were repatriated after being processed at the Musina facility. Most were Malawian nationals, followed by Zimbabwean and Mozambican citizens.

In addition, the Border Management Authority processed 72,906 repatriations through ports of entry between 7 June and 14 July.

Kubayi said dedicated immigration courts have also accelerated the handling of migration-related matters. Between April and the end of June, courts finalised 28,736 immigration cases, most of which involved deportations. Gauteng recorded the highest number of completed cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

Government is also planning to establish a dedicated immigration court at OR Tambo International Airport, while upgrades to the Lindela immigration court are expected to begin soon.

Addressing concerns about conditions at the Musina facility, Kubayi said government had worked with humanitarian organisations and international partners to provide healthcare, food, water, sanitation, child protection services and support for women and other vulnerable groups. Officials also coordinated with embassies and relief organisations to ensure affected individuals received the necessary assistance.

She said the temporary processing centre had enabled government to coordinate repatriations more effectively by providing centralised documentation, transport and humanitarian support, while improving cooperation between government departments, municipalities, embassies and aid organisations.

Kubayi thanked the various government departments, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, humanitarian organisations, faith-based groups and the private sector for supporting the operation of the centre. She also acknowledged MTN's R15 million donation to Gift of the Givers, which helped provide essential services, while MTN and Vodacom assisted with network connectivity.

Although the Musina facility is being scaled down, Kubayi said government has identified assembly points across municipalities to ensure it can respond quickly should migration pressures increase again.

She said the implementation of the Five-Point Plan continues to strengthen border security, improve law enforcement, enhance cooperation with neighbouring countries and ensure that migration management remains secure, lawful and humane.