By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba says only one of 300 foreign nationals processed by authorities on Thursday, 21 May 2026, was found to be in the country illegally.
Xaba briefed the media at the Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Moore Road in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
The foreign nationals were taken to the refugee centre for verification of their immigration status.
The verification process follows engagements between the Southern African Refugee Forum, representing the foreign nationals at the centre, and senior NATJOINTS officials represented by the Department of Home Affairs and law enforcement authorities in KZN.
Xaba stated that immigration officials processed roughly 300 foreign nationals and only one individual was confirmed to be undocumented.
“Only one out of 300 was found to be undocumented, so that person has been arrested and they will then appear before the magistrate for his deportation.”
Xaba has announced plans to establish a Repatriation Facilitation Office in Durban aimed at assisting legally recognised refugees who voluntarily wish to return to their countries of origin.
He said engagements with ambassadors from affected countries would begin soon and that the Dean of the diplomatic corps in KZN had already been informed of the municipality’s intentions.
“The details regarding the location of the repatriation facilitation office and its operational procedures will be announced in due course,” Xaba said.
The mayor also called for the introduction of a new asylum seeker documentation system with tamper-proof security features to prevent fraud and strengthen immigration controls.
He said individuals who failed to transition to the new documentation system within a prescribed period should face arrest and deportation.
“This will assist the Department of Home Affairs in cleansing its data and eliminating permits that might have been fraudulently issued,” he said.
Xaba urged communities to accept those whose legal status had been verified.
“The community must accept those whose documentation has been confirmed,” he said, adding that undocumented individuals “must be arrested and deported for avoiding the law”.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said police patrols will be stepped up in hot spots as foreign nationals say they fear for their safety.
Netshiunda said he is aware of two or three cases of assault that have been opened by foreign nationals, and the police are investigating the cases.
He added that most of the complaints of intimidation by leaders of the group of foreign nationals were hearsay that police can’t investigate.
Netshiunda said the verification process would be conducted by the integrated NATJOINTS team to address all issues associated with what is described as the illegal occupation of the centre.
“This process will be conducted with the integrated team of NATJOINTS to ensure that we attend to all the issues associated with this illegal occupation of the centre,” said Netshiunda.
He added that individuals found to be in the country illegally would be processed for return to their countries of origin.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also condemned recent acts of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa.
Speaking at the South Africa–Botswana Bi-National Commission Summit in Botswana, Ramaphosa said the attacks do not reflect government policy or the values of South Africans.
While acknowledging concerns around illegal immigration, he called on government, civil society and migrant communities to work together to combat xenophobia and uphold the dignity of all Africans.