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South Africa has officially decommissioned the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre, marking the end of a critical emergency intervention that processed more than 48 000 migrants.
On June 26, the government established the repatriation processing centre as a temporary intervention to manage increased migration pressures and facilitate lawful, orderly and dignified processing of undocumented migrants needing assisted repatriation.
This was in response to rising tensions amid calls for undocumented migrants to leave the country by June 30, leading to a humanitarian crisis in various parts of the country. Thousands of undocumented Malawian migrants sought refuge at Sherwood Hall in Sydenham in June, before being transferred to the Durban Drive-In Site for repatriation. Similar scenes of fleeing migrants unfolded in other parts of the country like the Western Cape and Gauteng.
“Government has closed operations at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre near the Beitbridge Port of Entry in Limpopo,” said deputy government spokesperson William Baloyi.
“The latest centre-specific operational report records that 48 948 foreign nationals were processed at the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre. Of these, 46 744, or 95.5%, were classified as border jumpers, while 2 204, or 4.5%, were recorded as having reported through a port of entry.” Play Video
Baloyi said that by July 24, the government had processed 68 138 migrants nationally following the increased migration pressures that began in June, with the majority repatriated after being processed through the Musina centre. Separately, the Border Management Authority reported processing 72 906 repatriations through all ports of entry between June 7 and July 14, including people processed through the Musina centre.
“The majority of migrants processed through the Musina centre were Malawian nationals, followed by Zimbabwean and Mozambican nationals,” Baloyi said.
He explained that a sustained decline in the number of people requiring processing and repatriation assistance informed the decision to close the centre.
“Government had initially reduced the centre’s operational capacity from 20 000 to approximately 1 500 from August 1, after migration data showed a continuing decline in arrivals over successive weeks,” Baloyi said.
He further explained that the centre was decommissioned due to declining demand and the Malawian government’s withdrawal of repatriation support, making its continued operation financially and operationally unsustainable.
Baloyi highlighted that the closure of the Musina centre does not mean undocumented migrants will automatically be transferred to Lindela Repatriation Centre but Lindela remains an option where appropriate.
He added that the centre’s formal decommissioning and the dismantling of its temporary infrastructure were completed on August 21, a process documented by government officials.
Meanwhile, the conversation surrounding migration remains a critical focus since the Southern African Development Community (SADC) 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.
At the Fourth Session of the South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) held in Pretoria on Friday, Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa said: “While migration is a complex phenomenon, we believe that continuous diplomatic engagements and dialogue are the best way forward to find lasting solutions for the collective good of our SADC region.”
The national public broadcaster reported that ahead of the BNC, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced that South Africa, as SADC chair, will host a regional migration summit to discuss the regional integration protocol and address the safety, security, and communication implications of migration.
In KwaZulu-Natal, speaking at a gathering for senior citizens, Greater Kokstad Local Municipality Mayor Lwanda Madikizela said March and March must not be blamed because the grouping has highlighted problems that government has failed to address.
