Pretoria – Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says he is satisfied with the running of the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
Minister Gigaba on Monday toured the facility, accompanied by senior Home Affairs officials and a media contingent. The visit was part of a series of on-going visits to Home Affairs offices and entities that report to the department.
The Minister said a lot of progress has been made at Lindela over the years. Lindela is a deportation centre for undocumented migrants in South Africa. It is the country’s largest facility for the holding of undocumented migrants. Prior to deportation, individuals at the centre wait for their legal status to be verified by their home countries’ embassies.
The administration of the centre is done by the Department of Home Affairs.
Recently, media reports have alleged that some of the people at Lindela were kept at the facility for longer periods under unbearable conditions.
In a bid to dispel some of the media reports, Minister Gigaba ate food prepared at the facility’s kitchen.
“I would like to invite those people to come and spend a weekend or even a month here so they can observe themselves,” he said.
The facility has a medical clinic, which is manned 24 hours by qualified personnel. This is to ensure that medical treatment is available to those who are kept at the centre.
The centre has the capacity to hold 4 000 people. It currently has 1 116 people. The Minister said the ideal was to have no more than 1 500 people.
With regard to allegations that some illegal immigrants were being kept for longer than the legally prescribed 90-day period at Lindela, Minister Gigaba said this happened as a result of some embassies not responding in time to requests to verify the status of the migrants.
“Some embassies do not come forward with the information on time,” he said.
To ensure the smooth running of the facility, Minister Gigaba said they were working with the Human Rights Commission and the facility was being inspected on a regular basis.
Minister Gigaba said no pregnant women and children are kept at the facility.
He expressed concern about illegal immigrants, who present themselves at Lindela, especially during the festive season, because they want to go home.
“We are worried about that situation. It is costly for the department to deport people,” he said.
He said foreign nationals who want to come to South Africa need to follow the correct legal processes.
“South Africa is open to foreigners. Foreigners need to apply for a visa because you not allowed to enter the country without a visa,” he said.
The Department of Home Affairs is legally and administratively responsible for all matters pertaining to the apprehension, holding, processing, repatriation and release of illegal immigrants at the Lindela repatriation centre.
Illegal immigrants are repatriated and transported by Home Affairs, almost on a daily basis, to border posts or OR Tambo International Airport and Lanseria Airport. – SAnews.gov.za
