President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering his Freedom Day Address in Bloemfontein on 27 April 2026. Photo Credit: EWN

President Cyril Ramaphosa told Parliament on Tuesday that South Africa was stepping up efforts to combat illegal immigration, but insisted the crackdown would not come at the expense of the country’s constitutional values and human rights obligations.

Speaking during the Presidency’s budget vote debate in Cape Town, Ramaphosa acknowledged concerns raised by MPs over undocumented migration, which they argue is placing pressure on public services and making it harder to create jobs for South Africans. “We have seen how illegal immigration into our country can put pressure on our public services and undermine our efforts to create decent work for all,” Ramaphosa stressed.

During his address, the president drew a distinction between legal and illegal migration, arguing that migration itself was not the problem, but rather how it was managed. Adding that legal migration could contribute to economic growth if properly regulated. “When it is well managed and regulated, migration can help to drive economic growth and opportunity for all. However, we need to deal with illegal migration,” Ramaphosa told lawmakers.

Ramaphosa pointed to measures announced during his February SONA, emphasising that the government had already begun implementing stricter immigration controls and increasing enforcement. “As announced in the State of the Nation Address, the government is taking decisive action to address this challenge. We are cracking down on violations of immigration laws,” the president stated.

He explained that the government’s approach focused on two areas: employers who hire undocumented workers, and weaknesses within South Africa’s border management system. “We are increasing our inspections of workplaces and prosecuting employers who violate our labour laws. We are strengthening border security, stamping out corruption in the immigration system and closing the loopholes in fragmented immigration laws,” Ramaphosa explained.

The president also cautioned against growing public frustration over migration, warning that concerns must not spill over into xenophobia or vigilantism. “We must never give in to violence, to xenophobia and to vigilantism,” he warned. While reiterating that South Africa’s laws apply equally to citizens and foreign nationals, Ramaphosa emphasised that the protection of human rights must remain central to the government’s approach.“Every person in South Africa, whether they are citizens or foreign nationals, must respect our laws. They must also respect the rights of every person in our country, and our laws must be upheld,” he emphasised.

Closing his response, the president pledged that his government would continue strengthening immigration enforcement while preserving social cohesion, arguing that the two objectives were complementary rather than contradictory. “We will continue to strengthen and enforce our laws while upholding the Constitution of the Republic and also respecting the human dignity of all. This will enable us to deal with illegal immigration without turning against one another,” he concluded.

Illegal immigration remains a divisive issue in Parliament, where political parties continue to debate how best to secure South Africa’s borders and protect employment opportunities without breaching the country’s constitutional and international obligations. The Department of Home Affairs is expected to brief MPs on border reform measures later this month.