The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed the deportation of 980 undocumented Malawian nationals, describing it as the largest repatriation operation involving Malawian citizens conducted by the department to date.
The deportations took place on Thursday night as part of ongoing law enforcement efforts targeting individuals found to be living in South Africa illegally.
The operation follows the repatriation earlier this week of more than 100 Malawian and Mozambican nationals from the Western Cape.
The removals come amid heightened tensions surrounding illegal immigration, with protests taking place in several parts of the country calling for stricter action against undocumented foreign nationals.
Home Affairs spokesperson Thulani Mavuso said the deportations formed part of the department's ongoing enforcement activities conducted through its inspectorate.
“As part of our law enforcement operations through our inspectorate, we continue to identify people who are in the country illegally and process them through our deportation system,” Mavuso said.
He confirmed that Thursday night's operation resulted in the deportation of 980 Malawian nationals.
“Like last night, we deported the biggest number of people from Malawi. They were about 980 that we had to deport. It was the biggest contingent. As we speak, we can confirm that we have deported 980 Malawians, and we will continue to do so throughout the country,” he said.
The Department of Home Affairs has indicated that similar operations will continue nationwide as authorities intensify efforts to enforce immigration laws and remove undocumented foreign nationals from the country.