The government in South Africa has arrested seven Kenyans working for a US-linked centre and issued them deportation orders after they were found to have violated the country’s visa regulations.
It is reported that the involved individuals entered South Africa on tourist visas but went ahead to work for the centre even after their application for work visas for the jobs were denied.
“Yesterday, the Department of Home Affairs executed a routine, lawful operation in Johannesburg targeted at suspected violations of South African immigration law. The operation followed after intelligence reports indicated that a number of Kenyan nationals had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken up work at a centre processing the applications of so-called “refugees” to the United States,” the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa said in a statement.
The said centre is charge of handling the immigration of white farmers from South Africa to the United States (US). This is after President Donald Trump earlier this year made unsubstantiated claims that the farmers were facing genocide in the country and offered them refugee status in the US.
The seven Kenyans will be prohibited from entering South Africa for a period of five years.
However, no US officials were arrested in the process. Additionally, the operation was not conducted at a diplomatic site, and no members of the public or prospective “refugees” were harassed.
How Kenyans were caught up in the operation
South Africa has dramatically intensified deportations over the past 18 months, as it works to turn around the long-standing abuse of its immigration and visa system.
The BBC reports that the processing of applications by white South Africans is being done by two companies, RSC Africa and Amerikaners, which is according to the US embassy in South Africa.
RSC Africa is a Kenyan-based refugee support centre operated by Church World Service (CWS), while Amerikaners is a South African platform aimed at providing information to white South Africans interested in the US resettlement offer.
Following the law without favourism
South Africa’s government explained that the operation was done in accordance with its laws in an effort to combat illegal immigration.
“The operation reinforces Home Affairs’ commitment to enforcing the rule of law without fear or favour, as no person or entity is above these laws. It also showcases the commitment that South Africa shares with the United States to combating illegal immigration and visa abuse in all its forms,” the statement read.
The government found fault with foreign officials working with undocumented workers, saying it had officially reached out to the Kenyan and US governments to resolve the matter.
“The presence of foreign officials apparently coordinating with undocumented workers naturally raises serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol.”
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