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25% spike in illegal border crossings into SA during Mozambique unrest
194 illegal crossings foiled as political instability in Mozambique sees South Africa increasing border security.
Image used for illustration. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reported a 25% spike in attempted illegal border crossings between South Africa and Mozambique amid ongoing political unrest.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, 194 individuals were intercepted between 10 October to 22 November 2024 while trying to cross the border illegally, compared to 116 during the same period in 2023.
“This indicates that there was an increase of 25% in illegal crossings in 2024 as compared to the previous year during the same period,” it said.
The situation has placed added pressure on border enforcement and security personnel.
The BMA, South African Police Service (Saps) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been mobilised to manage the increased activity.
No additional deployment at border
The BMA confirmed that despite the surge, there have been no additional personnel deployed beyond routine shifts. It said it has maintained its daily deployment of 67 officials, including border law enforcement officers and specialists in immigration, health and agriculture.
Officials routine
Similarly, Saps has continued its routine deployment at the Lebombo border post, with 34 officers stationed per shift.
“The number of deployments reduced as the activities related to the unrest were declining.”
Tactical teams and crowd management units were briefly deployed during heightened tensions but have since been withdrawn as the situation stabilises.
The SANDF, which conducts regular patrols along the borderline, also provided temporary air reconnaissance and surveillance support during the unrest, deploying specialised radar and drone operators.
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