South Africa will cancel more than 2,000 fraudulently issued study visas following a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into corruption in the Department of Home Affairs, Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said on Sunday.

Addressing reporters at an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration media briefing in Pretoria, Schreiber said the cancellations form part of a wider government drive to strengthen immigration controls, curb corruption and combat illegal migration.

“The next step is to cancel a number of those visas. We’re starting with 2,000 study visas which were affected,” he said.

The IMC, which includes departments such as Home Affairs, Police, Defence, International Relations, Justice, Basic Education and Higher Education, has been coordinating a broader enforcement and policy response to migration challenges.

Government has also invited additional departments, including Transport, Trade, Industry and Competition, and Social Development, to participate.

Schreiber said investigations had uncovered thousands of visas irregularly issued by corrupt officials, with study permits among the first category targeted for cancellation.

The announcement comes as government intensifies immigration enforcement following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s five-point strategy aimed at tightening border security, combating corruption and improving compliance with immigration laws.

Schreiber said the department was increasingly relying on technology to compensate for limited enforcement capacity, noting that only 832 immigration inspectors are currently deployed nationwide despite more than 40,000 arrests of undocumented migrants since January.

He also highlighted ongoing reforms to reduce fraud in identity systems, including the phased replacement of the green barcoded ID book, which he described as highly vulnerable to manipulation.

About 16 million green ID books remain in circulation, he said.

The department has expanded Smart ID services through partnerships with commercial banks, with 178 branches now offering the service.

More than 216,000 people have transitioned to Smart ID cards since March.

A voluntary digital identity system is also being developed to operate alongside physical IDs.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza said about 1,000 Malawian nationals gathered outside Sherwood Hall in Durban had been verified and found to be in the country illegally.

Authorities estimate about 7,000 Malawians are at the site, with verification and repatriation ongoing.

The IMC said 980 Malawian nationals were deported from the Lindela Repatriation Centre on 10 June, while Malawi has provided eight buses to assist returns. South Africa has added a further ten buses.

Officials said Ghana and Nigeria were also assisting with voluntary repatriation processes.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said enforcement operations had been intensified nationwide, with more than 7,400 undocumented migrants arrested in the past month and over 40,000 since January.

“Since 1 January 2026, law enforcement operations have resulted in the arrest of more than 40,000 illegal immigrants,” she said.

Kubayi said government’s response is anchored on strengthening border security, upholding the rule of law, tackling corruption in immigration systems, combating lawlessness and reviewing migration legislation.

She added that plans were under way to establish a dedicated immigration court and a priority court for airport-related cases, with coordination between the justice cluster and judiciary progressing.

Kubayi urged undocumented migrants to comply with the law and called on employers to avoid violations.

“We call on all South Africans to reject vigilantism and misinformation,” said Kubayi.

INSIDE POLITICS

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