Read more
'We want to send a strong message to all who are illegally residing and working in the country that we are coming for them'
Operation New Broom in Roodepoort in Gauteng on 7 July 2025. Picture: Home Affairs/X
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has warned those in South Africa without proper documentation to self-deport before his department reaches them.
On Friday, Schreiber led Operation New Broom to conduct its first immigration enforcement raids in Nelson Mandela Bay. The operation led to the arrest for deportation of 95 illegal immigrants.
Numerous operations have already been conducted in Cape Town and Pretoria.
ALSO READ: Tip-off leads police to at least 90 illegal foreigners in abandoned Houghton property
The latest operation took place in the Gqeberha Central Business District, where, according to Schreiber, a dilapidated warehouse was found to be housing numerous illegal foreigners. A Chinese-owned business was also found to be in contravention of a range of immigration laws.
The Department will be in court today to confirm the deportation orders.
“Operation New Broom demonstrates our commitment to work in a focused manner to restore the rule of law.
“Our message to people who are in our country illegally is clear: voluntarily self-deport now, before Home Affairs deports you and bans you from entering South Africa altogether,” warned the home affairs minister.
Gauteng operation
On Monday, 7 July, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza led Operation New Broom in Roodepoort in Gauteng.
The operation followed a tip-off from a community member.
ALSO READ: SA taxi driver nabbed attempting to smuggle 25 illegal foreigners, gets R375k fine
“We encourage citizens to continue reporting suspected illegal activities. It would have been difficult for anyone to suspect that unlawful activities were taking place here because the managers and workers live and sleep in the factory,” said Nzuza.
“We want to send a strong message to all who are illegally residing and working in the country that we are coming for them. We found 21 illegal foreign nationals from Malawi, China and Zimbabwe. One Malawian had a visitor’s visa but was found working in contravention of the conditions of his visa. All the arrested people are being processed for deportation.”
Home Affairs’ Operation New Broom
Home Affairs launched Operation New Broom in May, as part of the department’s drive to intensify enforcement operations in urban hotspots.
The operation seeks to arrest, convict and deport illegal immigrants occupying public spaces.
ALSO READ: Home Affairs committee raises alarm over border authority underfunding
The first operation took place in District 6 in Cape Town, where 25 suspects were arrested while occupying land meant for restitution to the victims of forced removals.
The operation utilises biometric technology to verify the immigration status of suspects, thereby eliminating the risk of fraudulent documents and strengthening legal cases.
“The benefits of our commitment to digital transformation are being felt across all areas of Home Affairs’ mandate, including through the strides made by the Border Management Authority at the borders and by Home Affairs inland,” said the minister.
“As with everything else we do, Operation New Broom is guided by our commitment to the rule of law. It is this commitment that both motivates us to do more to combat illegality, and to uphold due process and legal compliance in the process.”
READ NEXT: Schreiber explains persistent ICT failures plaguing home affairs offices
