Repatriated foreign nationals sit inside buses at Durban’s Old Drive-In site as authorities coordinate transport operations under tight security. The writer argues that employers who exploited these undocumented migrants bear heavy responsibility for the crisis, claiming many chose to extract the last of their labour before abandoning them in the middle of winter following the closure of the repatriation centre.
The debate over illegal immigration in South Africa often focuses on the poor while ignoring the middle class's role in sustaining undocumented labour. The burden of strained public services falls largely on low-income communities, yet many employers continue to exploit undocumented workers before shifting blame onto government. Until those who profit from illegal labour are held accountable, the conversation will remain incomplete.
