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More than 109,000 undocumented foreigners arrested and deported in SA in five years

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 412 words · By Modiegi Mashamaite
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What to know about More than 109,000 undocumented foreigners arrested and deported in SA in five years

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says 109,735 undocumented foreigners have been arrested and deported in the past five financial years, from 2021/2022 to 2025/2026.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says 109,735 undocumented foreigners have been arrested and deported in the past five financial years, from 2021/2022 to 2025/2026.

Why it matters

This emerged in a written reply to a parliamentary question by MK Party MP Mnqobi Prince Msezane, who asked for details about the number of undocumented foreigners identified as living in South Africa.

Common ground

Msezane also asked about allegations that undocumented foreigners were employed in public and private sector institutions without valid work permits.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-24-more-than-109000-undocumented-foreigne…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6
check_circle Corroborated 3
schedule Pending 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info
Claim 1: “According to Schreiber, between April 2023 and March 2024 the department processed 6,255 work permit applications, of which 5,383 were denied.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figures for work permit applications (6,255) and denials (5,383) are only reported in the Dailydispatch cross-reference.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — According to Schreiber, between April 2023 and March 2024 the department processed 6,255 work permit applications, of which 5,383 were denied.
https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/2026-05-24-more-than-10…
info
Claim 2: “Schreiber said 6,279 workplace inspections and enforcement operations had been conducted during the specified period.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is reported by Dailydispatch, but the other provided evidence sources are irrelevant (movies, job vacancies, and Portuguese immigration), providing no independent corroboration.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Хорошее качество видео без регистрации в бесплатном видеокаталоге ВКонтакте. Опубликовано 4 апреля 2026.Шёпот из темноты | Whisper in the dark (2025, фильм).
https://vk.com/video233521886_456244935
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Find latest All Government Jobs 2026/ Sarkari Naukri recruitment notifications for freshers and experienced candidates. Check 10th, 12th, Any Degree, PG, BTech, MBA and MCA vacancies.
https://www.freejobalert.com/government-jobs/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Inspections in public places, workplace raids or border checks are now more visibly carried out by PSP and GNR, while AIMA concentrates on processing files, issuing decisions, and implementing policy …
https://www.thetraveler.org/portugal-immigration-enforcement…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 3: “Each of the 68 employers paid an admission of guilt fine of R10,000, resulting in a total of R680,000 in fines.”
CORROBORATED
The fact that 68 employers paid R10,000 each, totaling R680,000, is confirmed by Dailydispatch and multiple independent web search results.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “With respect to the 68 employers arrested, each employer paid an admission of guilt fine to the amount of R10 000. Therefore, the total amount paid in lieu of fines is R680 000 while the 322 employee…
https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-02-18-r680-000-fines-im…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Each of the 68 employers paid an admission of guilt fine of R10,000 each. This resulted in a total of R680,000 in fines.
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/africa/sa-employers-fin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A manager of Babel has paid a R10,000 admission of guilt fine while the three undocumented nationals who were arrested with him during a raid at two restaurants in Menlyn, Pretoria, are still behind b…
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2024-09-18-babel-manager-rele…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 4: “He said 8,180 employers had been charged for employing foreigners without valid work permits in the past five years.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only the Dailydispatch cross-reference reports this specific number of employers charged.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — He said 8,180 employers had been charged for employing foreigners without valid work permits in the past five years.
https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/2026-05-24-more-than-10…
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Claim 5: “His reply referenced nationwide inspections conducted last year where 68 employers and 322 foreigners were found to be violating immigration regulations.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that 68 employers and 322 foreign nationals were found violating regulations during inspections.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — During recent inspections, 68 employers and 322 foreign nationals were found violating regulations across South Africa’s nine provinces. Each of the 68 employers paid an admission of guilt fine of R10…
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/africa/sa-employers-fin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Discover how 68 employers were fined R680 000 for employing illegal foreign nationals, as the Department of Employment and Labour intensifies its crackdown on immigration violations.
https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-02-18-r680-000-fines-im…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — South African government fined 68 employers R680,000 for hiring 322 illegal foreign workers without valid work permits. Proposed legislation will introduce foreign worker quotas, stricter hiring condi…
https://www.visaverge.com/news/south-africa-fines-68-employe…
info
Claim 6: “Mpumalanga followed with 15 cases while Limpopo recorded eight, KwaZulu-Natal five and the Western Cape two.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence does not contain the specific breakdown of cases for Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Subscribe to ALTER on YouTube: https://goo.gl/LnXRC3After the death of her mother, a disconnected daughter must face the strange and horrible manifestations ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H40znY8YShg
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “In the event of non-compliance with immigration laws, the Department of Home Affairs arrests the non-compliant employers and employees.” Meth said during the blitz, 68 employers and 322 foreign natio…
https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/r680000-fines-imposed-on…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Msiza said the inspections have just begun, and if the conduct of non-compliance continues the inspectorate will be left with no option but to shut down non-compliant employers.
https://www.labour.gov.za/department-of-employment-and-labou…
schedule
Claim 7: “Lesotho nationals received 250 work permits, followed by Mozambicans with 86 and Namibians with 70.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 8: “The Eastern Cape recorded the highest number of non-compliant employers with 34 businesses fined a collective R340,000.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results do not contain information regarding the Eastern Cape specifically recording 34 businesses fined R340,000; one result mentions 38 employers fined R68,000 in a different context.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Over the previous financial year, the DEL slapped 38 employers with fines amounting to R68 000 for hiring illegal foreign nationals without valid work permits in contravention of immigration laws.
https://capeargus.co.za/news/2026-05-19-bree-street-construc…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Your eVisa shows your identity and immigration status. This includes what rights you have in the UK, for example to work, rent or claim benefits. You can get a share code to prove your immigration sta…
https://www.gov.uk/evisa/view-evisa-get-share-code-prove-imm…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Use conditional I with would in the main clause. 1. If we (have) _ a yacht, we (sail) _ the seven seas.If he had more time, he would learn karate. If they told their father, he would be very angry. If…
https://www.euroki.org/koza/complete-the-conditional-sentenc…
help
Claim 9: “Of the 872 work permits approved, 445 were granted to Zimbabweans, the highest number approved during the period.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.
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Claim 10: “Of the 322 arrested foreign workers, most, 163, were in Limpopo, followed by 43 in the Western Cape, 34 each in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, 30 in Mpumalanga, 16 in KwaZulu-Natal and two in the Free State.”
CORROBORATED
The specific breakdown of the 322 arrested workers by province (163 in Limpopo, 43 in Western Cape, etc.) is confirmed by both Dailydispatch and an independent web search result.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Limpopo province was established as one of nine provinces after the 1994 South African general election. The province's name was first Northern Transvaal, and was changed to Northern Province on 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limpopo
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Select Province Botswana Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mozambique Mpumalanga Namibia Northern Cape North West Western Cape Zambia.Western Cape. Zambia. Aberdeen.
https://www.intercape.co.za/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Among the 322 arrested foreign workers, the majority—163—were in Limpopo, followed by 43 in the Western Cape, 34 in both the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, 30 in Mpumalanga, 16 in KwaZulu-Natal, and two in…
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/africa/sa-employers-fin…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 11: “Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says 109,735 undocumented foreigners have been arrested and deported in the past five financial years, from 2021/2022 to 2025/2026.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is reported by Dailydispatch, but the provided web search and Wikipedia results are irrelevant (dictionary definitions and general relations), providing no independent corroboration.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Israel–South Africa relations refer to the current and historic relationship between the Republic of South Africa and the State of Israel. As of January 2024, South Africa maintains only "limited poli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel–South_Africa_relations
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From the 1960s to the 1990s, South Africa pursued research into weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons under the apartheid government. South Africa is one of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa_and_weapons_of_ma…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South West Africa was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990. Renamed Namibia by the United Nations in 1968, it became independent under this name on 21 March 1990. South We…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_West_Africa
+ 4 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.