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The Immigration Act and the employment of illegal foreigners

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The Immigration Act and the employment of illegal foreigners

Imraan Mahomed, Director, Taryn York, Senior Associate, and Thobeka Kalipa, Associate Designate in the Immigration Law team, were recently featured in the Sunday Times Supplement, where they discussed “The Immigration Act and the employment of illegal foreigners.”

31 Jul 2025 1 min read Article

Imraan, Taryn and Thobeka note that in 2024, the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), the Department of Home Affairs, and the South African Police Service intensified workplace inspections to crack down on the employment of undocumented foreign nationals and to enforce compliance with the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.

In mid-February 2025, the Minister of Employment and Labour reported that:

  • 68 employers were arrested across South Africa. Each paid a R10,000 admission of guilt fine under the Immigration Act, with the highest number of arrests recorded in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.
  • The total amount paid in fines amounted to R680,000.
  • 322 employees were arrested and further processed in terms of the Immigration Act.

Click here to read the article.

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