LIVE: President Ramaphosa to address nation

Have raised concerns about migration and illegal immigration. These concerns are being expressed in our communities, our workplaces, our schools, our clinics, and across social media platforms. Many South Africans are asking difficult but legitimate questions. They are asking whether our borders are secure. They are concerned about jobs. South Africans are raising these matters because they are concerned about the pressure on our public services as well. They are concerned about safety, security, and the rule of law. These concerns are real. They deserve to be heard and they deserve to be addressed. South Africans are asking whether government is taking the necessary steps to address these challenges. Tonight I want to address these concerns. I want to explain what government is doing and is going to do to address them. And I want to outline the principles that must guide us as we confront this challenge together. We must be honest about the context in which these concerns arise. South Africa faces persistently high levels of unemployment, especially amongst our young people. Too many families are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of living is very high for many of the people of South Africa. Too many communities are experiencing poverty and inadequate access to opportunities. In such circumstances, frustration can easily be directed at those who are perceived to be competitors for jobs and resources. Yet, we must recognize that illegal immigration is not the cause of all our economic challenges. There are other causes. The answer must be faster economic growth, greater investment, industrial expansion, infrastructure development, and the creation of millions of new jobs. These are precisely the issues that our government is working on. We know that migration is a global issue. It affects many countries around the world. Our country, like many others throughout history, is a product of migration. It is the reason for our diversity and contributes to our vibrancy. As a democracy, we have welcomed visitors to our country. In line with our international obligations on the issue of migration and our constitutional values, we accept people from other countries who are in need of protection from wars, conflicts, discrimination, and violence. Like every other country in the world, we have laws that determine who can come to our country, South Africa, and what they can do whilst they are here and how long they can stay. Our laws are very clear on this. The basic principle on which we all agree is that every person within the borders of South Africa should be here legally, not illegally. Every person who works in our country must be legally permitted to work here. Every person who runs a business here must be legally permitted to run such a business. The challenge we have is that some people have migrated to our country irregularly and are here illegally. South Africa has a right to implement policies and measures that prevent irregular migration. Our country is committed to protect, uphold and advance the human rights of all people in our country, whether they are citizens or foreign nationals. We are committed to honor international obligations that deal with matters of migration. The responsibility for enforcing immigration laws rests with the state and the state alone. There have been weaknesses in the way migration has been managed in our country. There have been weaknesses in rigorous and focused enforcement. We admit that. And there have been weaknesses of corruption. There have been gaps in our systems that have undermined public confidence. South Africans are entitled to expect better. We accept that responsibility and we are taking decisive action to correct these shortcomings. South Africans have a right to expect a state that is effective, professional, and capable of enforcing its laws. Government will accordingly take action to address the expectations of our people in dealing with the challenge of the violations of our immigration laws. I must make it clear that only the authorized government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of our immigration laws. No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street in the pathways of our country to demand proof of identity. We know that South Africans are not xenophobic as there is no space for xenophobia, for racism, for sexism, for afrophobia or any other form of intolerance in South Africa. As communities and as a society, we must not be tempted to join those who want us to turn against people who were not born in South Africa and who are in our midst. We will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilize our country through inciting lawlessness and violence. We will act against forces who are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their own political, personal, and criminal agendas. We will not be fooled or influenced by social media campaigns that spread misinformation, fake news, and lies about people who are in our country. We must be concerned that anti-foreigner sentiment is at times accompanied by tribal and ethnic slurs, insults, and attacks aimed at other South Africans. This is not acceptable. We expect foreign nationals who are here to respect our laws. We therefore need to respect them as well. But they must respect the laws of our country. Almost all South Africans recognize that illegal immigration is a significant challenge. Illegal migration if unchecked poses a risk to South Africa's security, stability as well as our economic progress. We know that illegal migration affects service delivery and places additional burdens on essential services such as health care and education. Illegal migration routes increasingly overlap with organized crime. Criminal syndicates involved in trafficking, extortion, illegal mining, drugs, and money laundering often use undocumented migration for recruitment and concealment of goods. We know that illegal immigration undermines our efforts to create decent work for our people. There are businesses in our country that employ undocumented immigrants because their legal status means that they cannot stand up for their own rights. Some employers hire undocumented immigrants because they pay them wages that are well below our minimum wage and make them work longer hours without due compensation. We have uncovered a number of workplaces where undocumented migrants are made to labor under very bad conditions. Employers who hire undocumented workers and exploit their vulnerability are breaking the law. They undermine our labor laws and standards. They undermine fair competition and they undermine opportunities for South Africans. Such conduct will attract far stronger penalties and far stricter enforcement. Many communities have expressed anger about the number of foreign nationals running spaza shops, trading stores and other informal outlets. They argue that foreign enterprises are squeezing South Africans from operating in these markets in their own communities. These concerns cannot and must not be dismissed. Many South Africans feel excluded from opportunities within their own communities. Government has a responsibility to support local enterprise, to promote fair competition, and to create conditions in which South Africans can participate meaningfully in the economy of our country. As a country, as communities, and as a continent, we need to work together in accordance with our constitution, our laws, and our international obligations to tackle illegal immigration. And we must do so without resorting to violence, intimidation, or victimization. Following the announcements that I made during the state of the nation address in February, government is taking further decisive action to tackle illegal immigration. Last week, cabinet adopted a comprehensive approach to migration management. This approach has been endorsed by the president's coordinating council which includes our premiers and our MECs and representatives from local government and the mayors of our metropolitan cities as well as representatives of the national house of traditional and Khoisan leaders. This evening I would like to share with you the key actions we are taking as government. Our objective is very clear. We want a South Africa where every person who enters the borders of our country does so lawfully. We want a South Africa where immigration laws are respected and enforced. A South Africa where businesses compete fairly. A South Africa where communities feel safe and secure. And a South Africa that remains true to its constitutional values and its commitment to human dignity. We intend to achieve this objective by implementing the following measures amongst others. Firstly, we are and will continue to crack down on the violation of our immigration, labor, and other laws. Secondly, we will continue to prevent people from entering the country irregularly and illegally. Thirdly, we are and will continue to stamp out corruption in our immigration system. Fourthly, we will strengthen our immigration laws and policies. And finally, we will continue to engage other countries, including our sister countries on the African continent, to forge a broader response to migration challenges across our region and the continent. The first part of our response is a concerted crackdown on violations of existing immigration, labor, and other laws. The Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority, the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies have been and will intensify the process of identifying and deporting undocumented foreign nationals residing illegally in South Africa. In the past year alone, the Border Management Authority managed to intercept and stop over 450,000 people who were attempting to enter South Africa illegally. We will set up dedicated courts to deal with immigration, to speedily support the deportation of undocumented migrants. The South African Police Service, Home Affairs, and the Department of Employment and Labor are increasing inspections targeting companies employing undocumented foreign nationals. As part of rebuilding labor enforcement capacity, the Department of Employment and Labor has launched the phased recruitment of 10,000 inspectors for this financial year. As I announced during the State of the Nation address, we're going to increase the penalties, including imprisonment for employers who violate our immigration act. We cannot have a situation where employers who, after being charged and found guilty of violating our laws, merely pay a fine and continue employing undocumented foreign nationals whom they exploit. To address violations of immigration and labor laws in the transport sector, we are implementing a plan that has been developed with the logistics and freight industry as well as our labor organizations. The second part of our response is to secure our borders. Every sovereign nation has a responsibility to know who enters its territory, why they are entering and how long they are permitted to stay. Secure borders are not a sign of hostility towards other countries. They are a fundamental requirement of a sovereign and well-governed state. Accordingly, we are taking further measures to secure our borders. We will therefore continue to invest in modern technology, infrastructure and personnel to ensure that our borders are secure while facilitating legitimate trade, travel and economic activity. We will undertake a phased relocation of refugee reception centers to border posts starting with Tuan Center this current year. Many other countries have refugee reception centers that are close to the place where refugees enter the country seeking asylum or refuge. The relocation of refugee reception centers closer to our borders is intended to ensure that asylum applications are processed more efficiently, more securely and more fairly. This will enable government to determine protection needs at the point of entry to ensure that those who genuinely require protection receive assistance as quickly as possible. The third part of our response will be to continue strengthening our immigration system by stamping out corruption and deploying cutting-edge technology. We are continuing the crackdown on corruption and inefficiencies in the Department of Home Affairs. We must recognize that illegal immigration is often enabled by corruption. Officials who sell documents, facilitate unlawful entry or abuse public office for personal gain, betray the trust of the people of South Africa. We will pursue these cases relentlessly. Those responsible are facing dismissal, criminal prosecution, and the full consequences of the law. We are establishing an intelligent population register that contains biometric data for every person in the country, laying the foundation for a digital ID for all of us. At the same time, we will progressively discontinue the green ID books that we have which have enabled identity theft by undocumented immigrants and criminal syndicates. The Department of Home Affairs will set a date after which the Green ID books will no longer be recognized. We will end the abuse of the traffic registration number system which a number of foreign nationals require to register or buy vehicles in our country which currently is being used as a form of identification by many. And the Department of Transport will issue new regulations to align with the identification laws of our country within the next 3 months. The fourth part of our response is to close the gaps in our laws and policies. The laws that regulate immigration in our country are fragmented and often contradictory. They allow legal loopholes that are exploited by undocumented migrants. We are addressing these loopholes. Government has finalized the national labor migration policy which proposes maximum quotas for the employment of documented foreign nationals and deals with the prosecutions of employers hiring undocumented workers. The employment services amendment bill has been approved by cabinet for introduction to parliament. This will empower the minister to set quotas in respect of the employment of foreign nationals in any economic sector or occupational category. The Department of Small Business Development working with the South African Local Government Association, SALGA, will complete the process of ensuring small and informal businesses are properly registered. It will also provide support for South African informal businesses through the PASA shop fund. The final part of our response is to work with other countries in our region and across the continent to address the broader challenge of migration. We need to address the factors that drive migration on our continent and elsewhere. South Africa cannot address migration challenges alone. Migration is a continental and a global phenomenon. South Africa's future is inseparable from the future of our African continent. Migration pressures cannot be addressed through enforcement measures alone. They require peace where there is conflict, economic growth where there is stagnation and opportunity where there is poverty. As South Africa, we will continue working with our sister countries to build an Africa in which people move by choice and not by desperation. Through SADC, the African Union and our bilateral relations with other countries, we will seek to find sustainable solutions to these challenges. As part of this effort, I will be sending envoys to a number of sister African countries to outline the measures that we are announcing this evening and to deal comprehensively with the issue of migration in cooperation with those countries. Cabinet will remain seized with this matter and will regularly review progress in implementing these measures. The interministerial committee on migration will coordinate government's response across departments and spheres of government. Our NATJOINTS and the provincial NATJOINTS structures have been directed to strengthen coordination among law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies to ensure effective implementation. Fellow South Africans, as we work to tackle the problem of illegal immigration, we are determined that we will not allow anyone to exploit this problem to destabilize our country. Our law enforcement agencies and security services working together with other state entities and key stakeholders are ready to act to protect the republic, public safety, maintain law and order and safeguard critical infrastructure. The changes that we have recently introduced to our immigration laws as well as the regulations that we've introduced will allow us to attract tourists, highly skilled global talent and investment through lawful channels. We must also remember that many of our people travel to other countries to study, to work, and to gain experience. Many come home with valuable skills and expertise that they have gained from other countries, with a wider view of the world, and in a better position to improve their lives and those of their families and increase the prosperity of our country. Migration is the way of the world and we must be prepared to embrace it. South Africa is a better country for migration and we can become better still. But that means our laws need to be strengthened and enforced. It means that we must end illegal immigration and deal with the social, economic, and security challenges to which it contributes. We must not allow ourselves to turn against foreign nationals and each other. As South Africans, we must all respect the constitution of our country, uphold the basic human rights of all people, and consistently uphold the law of our land. We reject the notion that we must tolerate illegal immigration. We can protect our borders while protecting human dignity. We can enforce our laws while upholding our constitution. We can secure our communities while preserving the values of Ubuntu that define us as a people. Like many challenges that we have faced before, we can overcome the problem of illegal immigration. South Africa has overcome far greater challenges than this one. We have overcome division. We have overcome conflict. We have overcome injustice. We will overcome this challenge too. And let us do so not through fear, anger, hatred or violence, but through unity, determination and respect for the law. Let us continue to build a South Africa that is secure, lawful, compassionate and prosperous. A South Africa in which we expand opportunity, protect people's dignity, all our people that is, and fulfill the promise of democracy for all.