and the inner-city in searching of undocumented immigrants and criminals.”
Illegal immigrants were taken to Lindela detention centre for deportation.
Subsequent to the raids Levitan Estates (PTY) which owns the building has given registered tenants three weeks to get rid of all illegal immigrants occupying rooms in the building.
Gabriel Shumba, the human rights lawyer representing the immigrants said the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) was assisting the arrested with legal advice and about 15 pregnant and nursing women had been released without charge.
The SA government is taking into consideration building a second detention centre in Limpopo to cope with the dramatic increase in illegal immigration from Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Last year it spent R218-million on immigration control – more than double the amount the department spent in 2004. The cost of detaining illegal immigrants at detention centres has gone from R21.95 a day per detainee in 2002 to R75 a day today. – Allan Muzhingi
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