South Africa to bill Federal Government for expenses of repatriating Nigerian nationals

South Africa's government has unveiled a plan to charge foreign governments, including Nigeria, for the expenses incurred in deporting their citizens who breach the country's immigration laws, as announced by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, according to Channel Africa reports.

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The decision to implement this policy is part of the government's intensified efforts to address the issue of illegal migration, which has become a growing concern amid rising anti-immigration sentiments in the country.

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More than 100,000 undocumented migrants have been deported in the last two years, resulting in a significant financial burden on the South African government, with authorities now seeking to recover these expenses.

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The new policy will require countries to bear the costs of repatriating their citizens who are arrested and deported for immigration offences, as stated by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

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The department has announced that it will bill countries for the repatriation of their foreign nationals who are in detention facilities and are to be deported back to their home countries, as part of the new arrangement.

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The implementation of this policy will be facilitated by the Department of Home Affairs, which will work in conjunction with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to ensure its execution.