Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has revealed that 8,180 employers have been charged over the past five financial years
Image: Ntswe Mokoena / GCIS
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has revealed that 8,180 employers have been charged over the past five financial years for allegedly employing foreign nationals without valid work permits.
The Minister disclosed this in a written parliamentary reply to a question asked by African Transformation Movement (ATM) MP Vuyo Zungula, who wanted details on how many employers have been taken to task for hiring undocumented foreign nationals and what enforcement steps the government has taken in workplaces.
Zungula also asked how many inspections had been carried out in workplaces over the same period, how many enforcement operations were conducted, and what penalties had been imposed on employers found to be in violation of the Immigration Act.
Schreiber said the department carried out 6,279 workplace inspections and operations during the same period as part of efforts to enforce immigration laws, adding that 109,735 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested and deported in the past five years (2021/22 to 2025/26).
"6,279 inspections / operations conducted at workplaces in the past five years (2021/22 to 2025/26)."
He further stated that 6,279 inspections and operations were conducted at workplaces over the same period, while 8,180 employers were charged for employing foreign nationals without valid work permits.
"Enforcement measures implemented to strengthen compliance with immigration laws includes interventions and disruptions through inspections that are intelligence-driven as well as rapid responses on reported incidents that requires operations/inspections.
"Further to that, the process to accelerate verification and identification process through use of the handheld mobile devices that will be used remotely to access departmental systems while operating on field. This will increase the arrests on those found to be illegal in the country as there will be immediate response on status for contravention with the departmental legislations," Schreiber added.
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