Home Affairs officials in KwaZulu-Natal say none of the Malawian nationals currently being processed for deportation at Durban's Sherwood Hall have been linked to criminal activity.
Provincial Home Affairs Manager Cyril Mncwabe said specialist fingerprint experts from the South African Police Service (SAPS) are screening every male migrant appearing in court as part of the deportation process.
The screening process was introduced to ensure that undocumented foreign nationals with possible criminal records are identified before being repatriated.
"There are policemen, the SAPS, they are working inside here getting those fingerprints. They are specialist experts. They are checking each and every person we are taking to court, especially the males. Fortunately, no one has been linked to any crime or being a wanted person," Mncwabe said.
He added that the fingerprint verification process is conducted before any deportation proceedings are finalised.
"Every male person that is being taken to court that would eventually be deported has already been checked for fingerprints by the SAPS," he said.
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 Malawian nationals displaced by anti-undocumented-foreigner protests in KwaZulu-Natal are expected to return home this weekend through an ongoing voluntary repatriation programme.
According to Malawi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eight buses carrying 560 people have already departed South Africa. A further 10 buses transporting around 700 returnees left on Thursday.
The returnees are expected to enter Malawi through the Mwanza Border Post before being processed in Blantyre and transported to their respective home districts.
At the same time, the Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that several Malawian women staying at Sherwood Hall have given birth while awaiting repatriation.
The facility is currently sheltering thousands of Malawian nationals who fled their homes amid alleged threats and tensions targeting undocumented migrants in parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
Many have been living at the site for nearly two weeks, with officials warning of increasing overcrowding and deteriorating sanitary conditions.
"The last day I knew it was 12. The babies that were born here on site, and the last two of the 12, it was just a day before yesterday," Mncwabe said.
Authorities say they are continuing to oversee the repatriation programme while monitoring living conditions at Sherwood Hall as the number of people at the facility gradually decreases.