The South African Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it has written to the governments of Malawi, Ethiopia, and Nigeria to request reimbursement for the $18 million cost of repatriating thousands of illegal migrants.
The $18 million total bill was estimated by the South African Home Affairs department in a briefing to Parliament on Tuesday.
Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode said the hefty costs – which covered transportation, temporary shelter, staffing, and other expenses – were “unforeseen and unavoidable,” thanks to the unprecedented exodus of migrants from South Africa over the past few months.
Makhode said that much of this cost has been shouldered by local governments, which are now demanding...
Read the full article here