Interceptions of people trying to enter SA illegally halved: 58,000 to 26,000.

The Border Management Authority, jointly with the Department of Home Affairs, have raised concerns about a sharp rise in unaccompanied minors intercepted at ports of entry during the 2025/2026 festive season. BMA reveals that at Beitbridge, 53 undocumented minors were discovered, with some as young as three, showing a major increase. While at Lebombo, 15 minors were stopped in the mountains trying to exit illegally. The authority says the most alarming was a Mozambican national who was caught smuggling a missing Johannesburg child to Mozambique; the suspect has since been detained. The Border Management Authority, jointly with Home Affairs, were earlier addressing the media on the 2025/2026 festive season operations. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Dr. Michael Masiapato