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that country are cause for concern.
On Saturday, we carried a report from our Beitbridge bureau stating that 1 227 out of 1841 deportees had returned to South Africa after spurning assistance from the International Organisation for Migration.

The illegal immigrants seem to be bent on totally ignoring administrative systems in Zimbabwe and South Africa and their actions are likely to be detrimental in the long run.
There is a reason why Zimbabwean and South African authorities granted the immigrants amnesty and the chance to regularise their stay in South Africa.
Zimbabwean and South African registry offices bent over backwards to ensure that all applications were duly processed.

Bona fide immigrants grabbed the opportunity and got their papers in order.
But for reasons best known to themselves, some decided that they were above the law of both countries and ignored the exercise altogether.
They pretended to be “non-existent” in the hope that they could avoid detection by the South African authorities and continue to lead their lives outside the jurisdiction of officialdom.

Knowing the number of foreigners in their land will help the South African government draft its policies accordingly to ensure that their utilities and service delivery systems are not overwhelmed.
On the other hand, it is this fringe element of “non-existent” people who are most likely to commit crimes and fan xenophobic attacks against innocent Zimbabweans.
Zimbabweans who are legitimately in South Africa deserve to live in peace and security without having to pay for the sins of their lawless compatriots.

The unregistered people are also not doing themselves any favours by trying to remain outside the system.
Human trafficking and modern day slavery are real and it is usually illegal immigrants who are targeted.
There are reports of syndicates operating on the border specialising in helping undocumented people cross into South Africa and get work on remote farms or just disappear into the cities and towns.

Forced prostitution and the denial of fair payment for work done are just a few of the ills that illegal immigrants face in any country.
Some people have disappeared without trace, giving rise to the suspicion that they are wilfully murdered and disposed of by their employers or controllers.
With no official status they cannot report any exploitation that they suffer for fear of apprehension by the authorities.

The need for migration is understandable and there are many factors that have pushed many Zimbabweans to neighbouring countries and beyond in order to survive.
But that is no reason for anyone to ignore the regulations of their host country.
And anyway many Zimbabweans have voluntarily returned to the country after realising that the streets of Johannesburg are not paved with gold creating opportunities for any Jack and Jill to get rich.

Crime and high unemployment rates are real problems in South Africa as evidenced by the recent march for economic freedom organised by the ANC Youth League.
South Africa deserves the space to work out its economic challenges without undue pressure caused by illegal immigrants.

The solution is for the authorities to clamp down hard on any illegal immigrant who returns to South Africa without papers.
If a deportee really feels that they have to go back to South Africa then they must apply for the relevant documentation through the formal channels and wait for due process.