Picture for illustration. A group of Afrikaners gathered outside the American Embassy in Pretoria to deliver a memorandum to US President Donald Trump. Picture: Nigel Sibanda /The Citizen The Department of Home Affairs has refuted claims that South African authorities arrested US officials during a raid at a refugee facility in Johannesburg.
Principal deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, Tommy Pigott, said the State Department wanted clarity from South Africa on what transpired, claiming that US officials were arrested. However, Home Affairs spokesperson Carli van Wyk said while seven Kenyans were arrested, no American officials were detained. “The Department of Home Affairs, in collaboration with other arms of law enforcement, executed a routine, lawful operation in Johannesburg targeted at suspected violations of South African immigration law.
“The operation followed after intelligence reports indicated that a number of Kenyan nationals had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken up work at a centre processing the applications of so-called ‘refugees’ to the United States,” Van Wyk said. Van Wyk said that during the operation, seven Kenyan nationals were discovered engaging in work despite only being in possession of tourist visas, in clear violation of their conditions of entry into the country. “They were arrested and issued with deportation orders, and will be prohibited from entering South Africa again for a five-year period.
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No US officials were arrested in the process, the operation was not conducted at a diplomatic site and no members of the public or prospective ‘refugees’ were harassed.” Van Wyk said the operation reinforces Home Affairs’ commitment to enforcing the rule of law, as no person or entity is above these laws. “It also showcases the commitment that South Africa shares with the United States to combating illegal immigration and visa abuse in all its forms. The presence of foreign officials apparently coordinating with undocumented workers naturally raises serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol.
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