The Border Management Authority (BMA) announced Monday that its intensified festive season operations along the South Africa-Lesotho border have resulted in hundreds of arrests and deportations. According to official statistics, hundreds of individuals were arrested, approximately 300 were deported, and 50 were refused entry at ports of entry including the Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg posts.
The announcement comes as traffic volumes remain exceptionally high at the Maseru Bridge border post, with long queues of holidaymakers returning to South Africa after the festive season.
The BMA’s regional manager for the Free State, Dr. Thabo Nkhoma, outlined the scope of the operations in an on-site briefing. He confirmed that the BMA’s festive season plan commenced on December 10, with a departure phase running until December 31, followed by the ongoing return phase which began on January 1.
Dr. Nkhoma provided specific traveler statistics for the two major ports. During the departure phase, Maseru Bridge processed just over 222,000 travelers, while Ficksburg processed just over 221,000. Since the start of the return phase on January 1, Maseru Bridge has processed 47,000 travelers moving in both directions, with Ficksburg processing just over 42,000.
“The statistics are a bit marginal between the two ports,” Dr. Nkhoma noted, comparing the figures.
The regional manager emphasized that the authority has “intensified their operations to ensure… smooth operation” amid the high traffic volumes. The enforcement actions leading to the hundreds of arrests, deportations, and entry refusals were part of this strengthened operational stance across multiple ports of entry between the two nations.
With the return traffic period still at its peak, the BMA indicates that its heightened security and processing measures will remain in effect to manage the flow of travelers and enforce immigration laws.