Chairperson of the House, the Department of Home Affairs recognises that management of international migration is not its responsibility alone, but requires a whole of government and society approach. This principle is fully embedded in South Africa's White Paper on international migration which was approved by Cabinet in 2017.
In line with this principle, the Department of Home Affairs has been collaborating with other government department to manage international migration, in particular, combating illegal migration. This is demonstrated through a number of regular joined operations conducted by the departments, inspectorate division, the South African Police Services and the metro police officers across South Africa.
The department also regularly conducts joined inspection with the Department of Labour at business premises. In an effort to strengthen border management and the reduction of illegal migration, the department, in consultation with the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster - the JCPS Cluster - developed a Border Management Authority, BMA Bill, which was submitted to Parliament. Through the Draft Bill, the department had envisaged to bring together all government departments working at ports of entry into one authority in order to strengthen co-ordination and security of South African borders.
It should however be noted that the department's inspectorate division, responsible for enforcement of Immigration Act is significantly under capacitated as it compromises of 731 inspectorate officers nationally. As a result, most of the operations inspections conducted by inspectorate are intelligence driven. The department is also part of the intergovernmental committee on migration which regularly meets to discuss and review the implementation of migration related policies in government.
At regional level, the department is implementing the SADC strategic plan to combat illegal migration, smuggling of migrants and
trafficking in persons and the revised SADC strategic plan to combat trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Thank you.