The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has issued a strong directive to government departments, demanding the immediate execution of the President’s comprehensive strategy to combat illegal migration. According to a statement released on Sunday, the urgency is heightened because many of these initiatives are already embedded within the departments’ annual performance plans.
Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, the Chairperson warned that any failure to enact these measures would directly undermine the authority of the Head of State. This push for strict enforcement comes at a critical juncture marked by rising anti-foreigner sentiment across the country, making the state’s reaffirmation of its legal authority particularly vital. Consequently, law enforcement agencies have been instructed to ramp up their operations to guarantee that immigration statutes are strictly upheld.
A major focus of the Committee’s statement was the destructive role of corruption in border management. The Chairperson condemned corruption as a “cancer that erodes both the spirit and the intent” of immigration legislation. Eradicating this malpractice was identified as a non-negotiable step to ensure that legal frameworks are not compromised and are executed effectively.
The statement also expressed strong support for the President’s planned diplomatic engagements with other African nations regarding cross-border movement. The Chairperson pointed out that illegal migration is deeply intertwined with wider socio-economic and developmental issues affecting the broader continent. Because of these complex regional dynamics, the issue cannot be solved in isolation, necessitating a unified, government-wide approach to enforce current immigration regulations.
To guarantee strict compliance and robust enforcement, the Committee highlighted the critical necessity of bolstering departmental staff. Specifically, plans to expand the workforce of labour inspectors within the Department of Employment and Labour are essential for holding employers accountable to labour laws. Similarly, increasing the deployment of immigration officers within the Department of Home Affairs is deemed crucial for the effective policing of immigration regulations.