Limpopo repatriation centre closes after processing 46,744 ‘border jumpers’

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC) announced the closure of the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Limpopo, South Africa, which had processed 46,744 foreign nationals before its closing in August. Of these, 95.5% were classified as border jumpers, while 4.5% reported through a legal port of entry.

Initially established on June 26, the temporary centre aimed to manage the surge in migration and facilitate the orderly repatriation of undocumented migrants. It brought together various government departments and humanitarian organizations under one roof, including the Department of Home Affairs, Border Management Authority, and South African Police Service.

The IMC noted that the centre was never meant to be permanent, and its closure followed a steady decline in the number of individuals needing assistance. The government had reduced the centre's operational capacity from 20,000 to approximately 1,500 by August 1, 2026, as migration data showed a continued decline in arrivals. The last few days saw no individuals presenting for processing, making the facility's existing scale no longer operationally justified.

The closure does not indicate a withdrawal of the government's responsibility to manage migration. Instead, it marks the end of a temporary emergency intervention that had fulfilled its primary purpose of averting a crisis at the Durban drive-through. The dismantling of the temporary infrastructure began on August 21, 2026, and the government will continue to enforce immigration laws, deport undocumented migrants, and support assisted repatriations as required by South African immigration laws, constitutional obligations, and international commitments.