Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws fairly and not focus only on undocumented foreign nationals from African countries.
Mashatile made the remarks while responding to questions in the National Assembly of South Africa on Thursday about crime-fighting strategies and recent protests linked to undocumented migrants.
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Mashatile Calls For Broader Immigration Enforcement
Mashatile said South Africa’s security agencies had been instructed to intensify efforts against criminality and illegal immigration across the country.
He stressed that immigration enforcement should apply to all undocumented foreigners regardless of nationality or continent of origin.
“Our law enforcement agencies must use the law to deal with people who come into the country. And it must not just be a focus on Africans. Anybody who’s coming into our country illegally, the security forces must enforce the law,” Mashatile said.
Deputy President Condemns Vigilantism And Mob Justice
Mashatile also strongly condemned acts of violence and intimidation linked to recent anti-immigration marches and protests.
He warned that communities should not take the law into their own hands and urged South Africans to allow authorities to deal with immigration-related matters.
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“On the issue of vigilante groups, I addressed a meeting of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) this morning before I came here and did condemn that,” he said.
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The deputy president added that mob justice would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Government Engaging Groups Over Immigration Protests
Mashatile revealed that he had already begun engaging with different organisations and community groups regarding ongoing immigration protests across the country.
He said government wanted to ensure that concerns around crime and undocumented migration were addressed within the framework of the law.
Security agencies have also been instructed to increase enforcement operations while ensuring that legal processes are followed.
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