Illegal crossings drop but smuggler arrests rise over easter

By Palesa Matlala

• Border officials intercepted 4,763 people trying to cross illegally over Easter, a 24% drop from last year as tighter controls were put in place.

• Arrests of smugglers rose to 138, with officials using drones and new technology to track and stop illegal crossings.

South Africa saw fewer illegal border crossings over the Easter period, but more people helping others cross were arrested.

The Border Management Authority ran a 10 day operation from 31 March to 9 April 2026. During this time, officials stopped 4,763 people trying to enter or leave the country illegally.

Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said this is a 24% drop from the 6,253 people intercepted during the 2025 Easter period.

Out of those stopped, 3,170 were undocumented. Another 998 were declared undesirable, while 595 were not allowed into the country for reasons like fake visas, missing yellow fever certificates or invalid travel documents.

“All undocumented individuals were fingerprinted, declared undesirable for five years, and deported to their home countries in accordance with the Immigration Act,” said Masiapato.

Most of the people intercepted were from Lesotho, followed by Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Malawi and Ethiopia.

Masiapato said the drop in illegal crossings is due to stronger enforcement. This includes the use of drones, destroying makeshift boats and removing ropes used to cross rivers.

At the same time, arrests of smugglers increased. A total of 138 facilitators were arrested, up from 113 last year.

“These facilitators were not deported but were handed over to the South African Police Service and charged with aiding and abetting,” said Masiapato.

He said new technology like body cameras and push to talk communication tools helped officers track and stop illegal movements more effectively.

During the operation, 29 children were also found crossing borders. Seventeen were at Lebombo and 12 at Beit Bridge. They were handed to social services to be placed in safe care and reunited with their families.

The number of travellers using official border posts also increased. More than 1.2 million people were processed across 71 ports of entry, a 21% rise from last year.

OR Tambo International Airport handled the most travellers with 234,389 movements. Lebombo, Beit Bridge, Ficksburg, Maseru Bridge and Cape Town International Airport also recorded strong increases.

Masiapato said the operation shows that border management in South Africa is improving and becoming more coordinated.

Picture above: Border officials monitoring crossings during Easter period

Image source: Supplied