BMA Nabs Nearly 10,000 Illegal Border Crossers in First Quarter

Pretoria: The Border Management Authority (BMA) intercepted and deported nearly 10,000 people attempting to cross the border illegally during the first quarter of the financial year. According to South African Government News Agency, BMA Commissioner Dr. Michael Masiapato briefed the media on the agency's first-quarter performance. Of the 9,954 individuals intercepted, 5,826 were undocumented, 2,127 were inadmissible, and 2,001 were classified as undesirables. The majority of these individuals were Basotho, Zimbabweans, and Mozambicans. Since July 2022, nearly 496,622 people have been stopped from entering South Africa illegally. Additionally, the BMA team intercepted 15 high-powered vehicles suspected of being stolen and handed them over to SAPS for further investigation. During this period, 349 vehicles intended for smuggling out of the country were also intercepted. The Border Guards seized 32 bales of counterfeit clothing and 201 pairs of counterfeit footwear, valued at approximately R1,098,000. In te rms of document fraud, 14 passports with fraudulent immigration stamps were confiscated, highlighting ongoing challenges to national security and immigration control. The BMA also focused on ensuring the safety of children at borders. Thirteen children were intercepted across various ports, with five being unaccompanied. These minors were handed over to the Department of Social Development. The remaining eight children, accompanied by their parents, were refused entry due to not meeting entry requirements. Masiapato emphasized the conditions required for traveling with children. A child under alternative care must provide a certified authorization letter from the Provincial Head of the Department of Social Development. Parents traveling with a child must present the child's unabridged birth certificate. If only one parent is traveling, an affidavit or court order granting full parental rights, or a death certificate of the other parent, is required. For children traveling with adults who are not their biol ogical parents, the child's unabridged birth certificate, an affidavit from the child's parents or legal guardian, and copies of the parents' identity documents or passports, along with contact details, are necessary. This ensures that all travel involving minors is lawful and in the child's best interests. Unaccompanied minors must present a letter or affidavit showing consent from one or both parents or legal guardians. If only one parent consents, a court order granting full parental responsibilities is required. Masiapato explained that these measures are in place to protect minors traveling across borders.