Zuko Komisa

According to Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) effectively coordinated the movement of 5,084,251 passengers during the 2024/25 festive season—an increase of more than 51,000 from the previous year.
During a media briefing, Schreiber stated that the 2024/2025 festive season represented a watershed moment in the BMA’s efforts to improve the operations of South Africa’s ports of entry.
“Following the long lead time in setting up a new institution, the past festive season presented the biggest test of the BMA’s ability to act as the single command-and-control structure to improve the management of all border crossings,” Schreiber said.
During the 2024/2025 festive season, the BMA’s successful prevention of illicit border crossings increased by 215%.
Almost 60,000 illegal immigrants were intercepted trying to enter South Africa during the festive season.
[WATCH] HAPPENING NOW: Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber is this morning hosting a briefing for the Border Management Authority.
— Kaya News (@KayaNews) January 31, 2025
This is to report back on the impact of the festive season operations.#KayaNews KS. pic.twitter.com/cPtq6kPPM6
Some of the stats revealed by the Home Affairs:
- The number of attempted illegal border crossings by undocumented persons that were successfully prevented increased by 215% this past festive season.
- In 2023/24, 15 924 undocumented persons who tried to come into the country illegally were intercepted. In 2024/2025, this number increased to 50 312.
- Another 6 159 people were detected for overstaying, and a further 1 923 were refused entry due to fraudulent documentation or non-compliance with entry requirements.
- BMA border guards, in collaboration with the South African Police Service, made a further 322 arrests, including 132 wanted criminals and seized illicit goods that included R690 million worth of illegal cigarettes.
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