Epping: The Department of Home Affairs announced that the temporary voluntary repatriation support operation at the Epping Refugee Reception Office in the Western Cape has concluded, with the office resuming its normal operations on Monday.
According to South African Government News Agency, the department successfully transferred foreign nationals who requested voluntary repatriation from the Epping Refugee Reception Office to the Musina Repatriation Centre in Limpopo over the weekend. Approximately 1,800 Zimbabwean nationals, including women and children, arrived at the office on 21 June 2026, later joined by Malawian nationals also seeking voluntary repatriation.
In total, 3,252 individuals were processed, consisting of 3,155 Zimbabwean nationals and 97 Malawian nationals. The Department of Home Affairs, in coordination with the City of Cape Town, civil society, and faith-based organizations, facilitated the transfer of those requesting voluntary repatriation. The temporary operation at the Epping Refugee Reception Office concluded with all humanitarian assistance at the site ending at 06h00 on Sunday, 5 July 2026.
The department advised that foreign nationals seeking voluntary repatriation should now direct their requests to the relevant consulate for assistance, as the Epping Refugee Reception Office will no longer handle such requests.