THE first group of the 84 foreign nationals convicted of immigration offences is expected to leave the country before Sunday, pending the issuance of transit visas by South Africa.
Ministry of Home Affairs Communications Officer Mlandvo Dlamini said the ministry had already started preparing the necessary documentation to facilitate the deportation process.
Dlamini said the ministry welcomed the court decision concerning the matter and had moved swiftly to start preparations for the deportation of the convicted foreign nationals.
“The ministry of home affairs welcomes the recent court decision concerning the case of 84 foreign nationals. We acknowledge the ruling and have promptly started preparing the necessary documentation to facilitate their deportation in accordance with the law,” he said.
He added that the ministry expects the first group of deportees to depart the country before the end of the week, subject to the receipt of transit visas from the Republic of South Africa.
The development follows last Friday’s sentencing of the 84 foreign nationals by Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi after they pleaded guilty to offences under the Immigration Act. The convicted individuals were sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option of E500 fine. The sentence was backdated to March 13, when they first appeared before the court.
The court also granted the Crown’s application for the convicted persons to remain in custody pending the completion of deportation processes.
The 84 foreign nationals were arrested during police raids conducted at Castle Hotel on March 11. This publication reported early in the week that the 84 foreign nationals would have to dig deep into their own pockets so as to finance their return to their respective home countries, with the combined cost of the journeys estimated at more than E1.15 million.
Calculations based on the cheapest available one-way ticket prices sourced from Skyscanner show that the convicted individuals would collectively require at least E1 151 499.96 for airfares alone.
The largest group comprises 54 nationals from Mainland China, and with the cheapest one-way ticket priced at E12 402.24, the total amount required for their return home stands at E669 720.96.
A total 16 of the convicted individuals are from Brazil, and based on the lowest available airfare of E18 026 per person, they would need a combined E288 416 to travel home. Seven are from Indonesia, and at E12 903 for the cheapest one-way ticket, they would require E90 321 collectively.
Six are from the Republic of China (Taiwan) and with tickets costing E15 102 each, they would need a combined E90 612. The remaining individual is from Cambodia, where the cheapest available airfare from Eswatini stands at E12 430.
