Overview
- The Department of Home Affairs, which released the figures Thursday, said the two-year total reached 109,344 and linked the surge to a post-GNU enforcement drive.
- Annual removals rose 30% from 39,672 in 2023/24 to 51,560 in 2024/25, then climbed 12% to 57,784 in 2025/26, for a cumulative 46% rise by March 31.
- Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber credited reforms, Operation New Broom, and biometric checks, and warned undocumented people to self-deport or face arrest, removal, and future entry bans.
- Officials said drones and body cameras are already in use, with a planned expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system to capture biometrics for every visitor and to boost detection of people in the country illegally.
- The department reminded landlords and employers that harboring or hiring undocumented migrants is a crime under the Immigration Act, warning that prosecutions can bring fines or prison.