Home affairs to act fast to deport 95 Libyans

The home affairs department has committed itself to speedily concluding the deportation of 95 Libyans arrested in July at a suspected military training base in White River, Mpumalanga.

On Thursday, the state withdrew its case against the men after they made representations to the Mpumalanga director of public prosecutions and the court ordered the men be deported to Libya.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the state withdrew the case as the docket showed there were no prospects of successful prosecution.

Nyuswa said that the 95 men had made representations to the director of public prosecutions, which were successful. They had also applied to be deported to Benghazi.

The men were charged with misrepresentation in their SA visa applications, in which they allegedly claimed they were coming to train as security guards.

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the court’s order to deport the men.

“We will not hesitate to act decisively to ensure anyone who breaches the immigration laws is processed through the courts and faces the consequences. Respect for the rule of law is sacrosanct,” he said.

Schreiber instructed the department to proceed with speed. This would be done while observing legal processes to ensure the deportations were conducted swiftly.

According to the department’s spokesperson, Siya Qoza, its officials were in court to secure the deportation confirmations from the magistrate. This would pave the way for their deportation from SA.

Officials were also finalising logistics for the mass deportation.

“Deportation was among the options home affairs considered when working with other law enforcement authorities. The department stands ready to send the group back to their home country,” said Qoza.