South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) says the government plans to begin charging foreign countries for the costs associated with deporting their nationals who violate the country’s immigration laws.

The announcement, posted on SABC’s X account comes as South Africa continues efforts to address undocumented migration and amid ongoing protests in some communities over the presence of undocumented foreign nationals.

According to DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, the government believes recent repatriation efforts by several countries demonstrate that foreign governments have the capacity to take responsibility for their citizens who are found to be in South Africa illegally.

“Moving forward we will also be billing countries for their foreign nationals who have to be deported or who are in our criminal detention facilities and have to be deported back into their countries,” Phiri said.

He added that the issue would be pursued jointly by DIRCO and South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.

The proposed policy follows large-scale deportation operations carried out by South African authorities in recent years.Government figures show that more than 100,000 undocumented foreign nationals have been deported over the past two years, a process that has reportedly cost the state millions of rands.

South Africa has long been a destination for migrants from across the African continent, with many seeking employment and economic opportunities.

However, concerns over undocumented migration have become a recurring political and social issue, particularly in urban centres where some residents argue that public services and employment opportunities are under pressure.

The government’s latest position suggests a shift toward seeking financial contributions from countries whose citizens are deported after violating South African immigration laws.

While DIRCO has indicated its intention to implement the measure, details regarding how the proposed charges would be calculated, enforced or negotiated with foreign governments have not yet been made public.