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The DA-led City of Johannesburg is working with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to address the growing challenge of illegal immigrants living in the City. Unverified reports suggest that the problem has become endemic to a level where the City of Johannesburg is currently playing host to an estimated 500 000 illegal immigrants.

A committee comprising of the DHA and the City was set up to spearhead a clear programme of action to deal with the problem, which the DA inherited when it took over the administration of the City from the ANC less than two years ago.

Available evidence from police crime statistics, indicate that illegal immigrants are partly responsible for the rise in contact crimes in the City. The lack of verifiable documentation, often poses challenges to crime investigators working to solve crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

The City of Johannesburg is a critical stakeholder in the fight against crime, and it is incumbent upon City administrators to ensure that law and order is maintained. It is for this reason that seven raids carried out by the City and the DHA was able to expose hundreds of illegal immigrants who had taken over 134 buildings in the CBD.

The raids follow an audit of 500 buildings conducted in the area to determine ownership, but infact exposed the prevalence of the problem of illegal immigrants.

The DA pledges its ongoing commitment to legal migration. The ANC has failed to adequately implement a cogent immigration policy that addresses the issue of porous borders and dysfunctional refugee centres, which often leads to increases in illegal immigration.

While the City of Johannesburg works to address the challenges brought about by the ANC’s failed immigration policy, we remain strongly opposed to any form of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals. Anyone found guilty of xenophobia, must face the full might of the law.

Where the DA governs, service delivery and upholding the rule of law is made a priority. Addressing the ANC’s crippling failure on immigration reform, is a critical first step in addressing recurrent occurences such as xenophobic attacks.

Issued by DA