is greatly reduced. Deportations are an ineffective and an expensive policy as those deported almost always return within days. 8) The jailing and sentencing of immigrants for up to 4 years imprisonment who breach immigration laws, which is soon to be implimented as it is included in the Immigration Amendment Bill, is not practical as the department of correctional services is already struggling with limited jail space. The situation is so bad in prisons that a presidential pardon of prisoners with 6 months or less left on their sentences was announced recently. The decision was attributed to overcrowding in prisons, showing how desperate is the situation of overcrowding in South African prisons. 9) The involvement of youth in immigration raids in Musina is a serious concern. The encouraging of youths to combat crime is very dangerous as it can lead to vigilantism and mob justice. Officials encouraging youth action, while often blaming foreigners for crime, can lead to xenophobic violence. 10) The deportation of Zimbabweans in Musina without any due process- merely herding immigrants into deportation trucks- needs to be halted immediately. 11) Corruption is very difficult to combat, without transparency and accountability. Ensuring that procedures are consistently followed and immigrants were adequately informed of their rights, would reduce the “opportunity” for corruption. 12) Better training on Immigration Law for SAPS and the removal of SANDF from immigration control is necessary in order to demilitarise immigration raids. 13) An amalgamation of NGO’s working with refugees and migrants should consider establishing an information system and a website on which instances of breaches in law, harassment and corruption could be recorded. 8

Select target paragraph3