BRITS POS – BRITS – From 22 July to 1 September 5 300 suspects were arrested during Operation Shanela in North West for numerous crimes and 671 of these were suspected illegal immigrants.
Brits Pos asked Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, SAPS North West spokesperson what happens to these illegal immigrants.
“If they are suspects in crime, then they have to face the full might of the law.
Even if a suspect pays a guilty plea fine for being in South Africa, they are still illegally in South Africa and are then handed over to Immigration Officials and eventually deported to their countries of origin. According to the latest statistics there are at least seven million illegal immigrants in South Africa.
“South Africa’s borders with our neighbours are a challenge and complicates police’s task, as illegal immigrants know where and how to cross the borders back into South Africa, still illegally and commit petty crimes to survive on the streets, but there are also murderers and rapists who commit these heinous crimes and then flee back to their countries of origin to avoid prosecution and imprisonment.” Mokgwabane concludes.
