With deportations up 46%, detainees describe months in detention, paying for their own removal and limited access to their rights.
“In detention, you don’t have access to talk to immigration officers, even when you have complaints,” a former detainee, Yusuf Ali (not his real name), told One Nation Media (ONM).
South Africa has intensified immigration enforcement, with organised groups arresting people, in some cases beating them, and handing them over to police. But what happens after arrest — how long people are held, how they are treated and whether their rights are respected — remains largely out of sight.
Deportations on the rise
Following the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in mid-2024, deportations increased sharply. The Department of Home Affairs, under Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, carried out 109,344 deportations over two financial years, representing a cumulative increase of 46%, according to an April 2026 government statement.
While the government emphasises enforcement, the experiences of those detained raise questions about the process between arrest and removal, especially when individuals dispute the grounds for detention or say they hold valid documents.
Yusuf, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, said migrants often spent months in detention.
“An average length of time migrants are held in deportation centres ranges from three months or more and there is no exception when it comes to religion because there are different people of different religions detained.”
He described difficulties Muslim detainees faced regarding halaal food: “As a Muslim person, you had to eat what everyone is eating or what is available, or else you go buy something by the kiosk.”
How long can they be held?
There is no single answer. Dorothy Mabalebele, project manager at Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), said: “There is no single average detention period, the time depends on the person’s circumstances, the availability of travel documents, the cooperation of the country of origin and the progress of the case.”
Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena, secretary of the African Diaspora Forum, said migrants from neighbouring countries may be detained for one to two weeks, or up to a month, while those from outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) may wait three months or longer.
Once a court orders deportation, a migrant may be transferred to a centre such as the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp. Those from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho may be deported within a week of reaching the centre, while those from further afield wait longer.
The law is clear on detention limits, Mabalebele noted: “The Immigration Act provides for detention for up to 30 days without a court order, with a court able to authorise an extension of up to a further 90 days.”
“The concern is not only the length of detention but also how people are treated. Migrants should not be treated as criminals simply because they are foreign nationals or do not have the correct documents.”
Allegations of payments and ‘self-deportation’
“We pay for our own deportation,” said a Malawian community leader who has supported dozens of detained Malawians and visited Lindela three to four times to meet management. He asked to remain anonymous.
“It is quite a shame that in this era people are still being treated as if they are animals. From the cells, to the prison, and then they send them to the repatriation centres,” he said.
He alleged that delays are monetised. “Inside the prison you have to pay the warders and some other people there for you to get deported as early as possible. You pay whatever amount, and then they arrange for you to be sent to the repatriation centre.”
He also raised what he described as a system of “self-deportation” at Lindela, where migrants purchase their own bus tickets.
According to him, migrants are directed to particular bus operators rather than being allowed to choose. A ticket from Johannesburg to Malawi that should cost between R1,500 and R1,700, he estimated, could be sold to detainees for R4,000 or more. Some who pay but do not wish to return, he alleged, are still charged and dropped off along the way.
ONM has not independently verified the payment claims. Home Affairs has previously denied systemic corruption at Lindela.
What happens after detention?
Mabhena explained that after detention, migrants returning to neighbouring countries may be transferred to the relevant border and released. Those travelling further wait while their identities are verified and travel arrangements are finalised. In some cases, migrants approach their consulate to arrange return tickets, with assistance from Home Affairs.
Mabalebele said due process must be followed: “Officials must establish a person’s immigration status and consider any legal grounds that could affect deportation. Detention and deportation should not be treated as automatic processes without considering individual circumstances.”
Families left behind
Mabhena raised concerns about food, healthcare, sanitation and prolonged detention, especially for women detained with children and parents whose arrest leaves children without caregivers.
He described a scenario in which a mother is detained before collecting her child from crèche. If she is a single parent and officials cannot contact family members, the crèche is left to decide what happens to the child.
Do rights remain in detention?
“The Constitution protects human dignity, equality and freedom of religion. Detainees should receive humane treatment and have access to legal assistance, medical care, communication with family members and religious advisers where possible,” Mabalebele said.
She stressed the importance of oversight and the principle of non-refoulement — which prohibits returning people to places where they face certain forms of serious harm.
“Having rights written in law is not enough. They must be respected in practice, no one should be abused, humiliated or denied services because of their nationality, language, race, religion or immigration status.”
However, access to information and legal support is difficult for those who do not understand procedures or cannot communicate effectively with officials.
Delays, she warned, should not become grounds for unlawful detention. “A person should not be kept in detention indefinitely simply because officials have not completed the necessary paperwork. Where the legal basis for detention no longer exists, the person should be released in accordance with the law.”
Is deportation a long-term solution?
Mabhena questioned whether deportation alone addresses migration, especially within SADC. “Migrants may return to South Africa soon after being deported, especially when they are drawn by employment opportunities and economic circumstances.”
The Malawian leader agreed: “If you are in the country, you need to be there legally. We are not saying people shouldn’t be deported. It is the officials’ responsibility to process it properly. Both governments have to take responsibility for their own people.”
Mabalebele said: “Our position is that deportation procedures must be transparent, fair and humane. Every person deserves dignity, regardless of where they come from or what documents they hold. Migration should not be used to divide working class communities.”
Yusuf put it more simply: “I don’t see the need for all these processes, they just have to process the people with paperwork so that they know everyone, and whenever you go to renew your paperwork, you pay the required amount rather than keep on paying the police and other officials.”
South Africa has the authority to enforce immigration laws. However, testimonies from inside detention suggest that enforcement must be accompanied by lawful procedures, access to justice, humane treatment and accountability wherever people are held.
The Department of Home Affairs has been approached for comment. Its response will be included in this article upon receipt.
