South Africa to Bill Nigeria, Other Countries for Deportation of Citizens

The Government of South Africa has announced a new policy that will require countries, including Nigeria, to pay for the deportation of their citizens who are found to have violated immigration laws.

According to the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the measure is aimed at recovering the rising costs associated with detaining and deporting undocumented foreign nationals.

Officials said the country has deported over 100,000 undocumented migrants in the past two years, leading to significant financial pressure on the government.

Under the new arrangement, countries of origin will be billed for the repatriation and detention expenses of their nationals found to be residing illegally or involved in criminal activities.

The policy comes amid intensified immigration enforcement measures and increasing public debate over undocumented migration in South Africa.

Authorities maintained that the move is intended to encourage greater responsibility from countries whose citizens violate immigration laws abroad