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The department of home affairs is set to employ an additional 301 immigration officers across the country to strengthen immigration enforcement capacity.
Carli van Wyk, spokesperson for home affairs minister Leon Schreiber, said the department currently employs 868 immigration officers and “this limited capacity is expected to support immigration enforcement across the entire country”.
The hiring of an additional 301 immigration officers will take the number from 868 to 1,169, she said.
“Despite the severe resource constraints the department continues to face, reprioritisation work has been done to enable the recruitment of this cohort of additional immigration officers.
“The increase from 868 to 1,169 officers will enhance enforcement capacity by 35%. This is being done in conjunction with other initiatives alongside National Treasury to secure additional resources to further boost digital transformation and capacity-building initiatives.”
Schreiber said for too long 868 frontline immigration officers have been responsible for enforcing immigration laws across the entire country.
“By appointing 301 additional immigration officers, we are making one of the biggest investments in immigration enforcement capacity in years, strengthening our ability to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of South Africa’s immigration system.”
He said the reforms are about building an immigration system that works from beginning to end.
“That means using technology such as the electronic travel authorisation to strengthen the enforcement of lawful entry into South Africa, while also investing in the officers who enforce our laws every day.”
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