Mozambique’s National Migration Service (Senami) says South Africa has deported 2,694 Mozambique nationals since January over alleged illegal stay and border violations.
Senami Spokesperson, Juca Bata that the latest removals included 485 Mozambicans deported on Wednesday and another 144 on Thursday through the Ressano Garcia border post, the busiest crossing between the two countries.
He said” screening by Mozambican authorities confirmed that all those returned were citizens from various provinces who had been detained for staying in South Africa without proper documentation.”
Bata noted that the deportees reported they had not been targeted in xenophobic attacks but were arrested strictly for immigration violations.
The latest figures come amid ongoing concerns about the high number of undocumented migrants living and working in South Africa where authorities have intensified enforcement operations in recent years.
South Africa remains a major destination for economic migrants from across the region, particularly Mozambique and Zimbabwe, driven by employment opportunities in mining, agriculture, construction and informal sectors.
However, the country has struggled to manage irregular migration, with periodic crackdowns, community‑led anti‑migrant campaigns and political pressure to tighten border controls.
The issue has become increasingly sensitive amid economic stagnation, high unemployment and recurring outbreaks of xenophobic violence that have left foreign nationals vulnerable.
