IMC SAYS MANY ILLEGAL MIGRANTS DON’T QUALIFY FOR REFUGEE STATUS

HATFIELD – The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration says most undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa do not qualify for refugee or asylum status. More than 53,000 undocumented migrants have been processed for deportation and repatriation in recent weeks.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says many undocumented migrants come from countries where they do not qualify for refugee protection and often arrive without passports. She says challenges in obtaining identity documents in their home countries contribute to illegal immigration into South Africa.