DURBAN - The KwaZulu-Natal government has set up special courts to process undocumented migrants who want to return to their home countries.
This is to help speed up the legal processes required before deportations can take place.
Giving an update on the repatriation process on Monday afternoon, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said a virtual court, linked to the regional court, had been established at Sherwood Hall in Durban.
This is where scores of Malawian nationals had been camping for several days.
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Additionally, he further committed to establishing six additional courts dedicated exclusively to processing these matters.
“We'll be moving people from these two sites to the physical courts where they'll be processed by our courts and then transported out of the country,” Xaba explained.
The additional courts form part of the city's plan in implementing a range of interventions to accelerate the processing of Malawian nationals who have been accommodated at Sherwood Hall for a prolonged period.
Xaba said this process was expected to happen within 72 hours.
According to Xaba, under the South African immigration laws, each undocumented foreign national must be processed individually before deportation can take place.
This process, he said, includes identity verification, the issuing of the necessary legal documentation and an appearance before a court to ensure compliance with due process and the protection of constitutional rights.
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Once these legal requirements have been met, deportation may proceed, he added.
“These interventions seek to achieve the following objectives: to stabilise the situation at this site, reduce humanitarian and public health risk, support the ongoing processing of migrants and expedite the deportation process,” he said.
According to the eThekwini Mayor, to date, more than 1,500 Malawian nationals have been deported, with 19 buses en route to Malawi.
Xaba said eThekwini Municipality officials, working with other stakeholders, remain focused on ensuring a smooth process amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment.