Cabinet has welcomed the launch of Operation New Broom, the latest technology-driven initiative by the Department of Home Affairs to combat illegal immigration.
Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, launched the initiative last week.
READ I Home Affairs launches programme to tackle illegal immigrants challenge
Addressing the media in Cape Town on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said this demonstrated government’s commitment to fighting crime and maintaining the rule of law.
Ntshavheni explained that the initiative uses technology to arrest, convict and deport illegal immigrants from the country.
“The operation, has in its first phase, led to the arrest of 25 suspects who occupied land illegally in District 6, Cape Town,” Ntshavheni said.
Ntshavheni said the initiative uses biometric technology to verify the immigration status of suspects, eliminating the risk of fraudulent documents and making it easier for the courts to conclude cases.
The first operation which is part of an ongoing nationwide campaign occurred in District 6 in Cape Town on 21 May 2025.
The Minister believes that the department’s commitment to digital transformation is being felt across all areas of Home Affairs’ mandate, including through the strides made by the Border Management Authority (BMA) at the borders and inland.
“As with everything else we do, Operation New Broom is guided by our commitment to the rule of law. It is this commitment that both motivates us to do more to combat illegality and to uphold due process and legal compliance in the process,” Schreiber said at the time. – SAnews.gov.za
