South Africa asks African nations to cover repatriation costs

South Africa has formally requested that several African governments reimburse it for the cost of repatriating tens of thousands of their citizens, following a period of heightened anti-immigration sentiment and violence.

The Home Affairs department briefed lawmakers on Tuesday, revealing that the country has spent close to $18 million on accommodating and transporting migrants who opted to return home. The foreign ministry has since sent written compensation requests to Malawi, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

The expenditure covered buses, temporary repatriation centres, and staff overtime. Tommy Makhode, the director-general of Home Affairs, described the costs as "unforeseen and unavoidable." Some municipalities and government departments involved in the operation are now seeking reimbursement from Home Affairs, as the expenses were not part of any budget.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has called the recent scale of repatriations and deportations unprecedented. The departures come amid protests by anti-illegal migration groups, who blame foreign nationals for high unemployment, crime, and pressure on public services. Attacks on foreign nationals have strained ties with other African governments, some of which have accused Pretoria of failing to protect their citizens — a charge the government denies.

Ghana recently attempted to place the situation on the agenda of an upcoming African Union meeting, but the continental body rejected the proposal.

Official South African figures show 82,875 people have been voluntarily repatriated or deported since the tensions began. However, figures from migrants' home countries put the total at roughly 178,000. Between April and July, 16,078 nationals — mostly from Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique — were deported via the Lindela Repatriation Centre.

Law enforcement has said it will intensify operations against illegal migration, having already arrested nearly 60,000 people in the country illegally, including 16,208 in July alone.