Authorities are relocating the temporary repatriation site at the Durban Old Drive-In to a new facility near Musina in Limpopo to accelerate the processing of foreign nationals and relieve pressure on KwaZulu-Natal infrastructure. The move follows weeks of significant pressure on local sites, which have struggled to manage the volume of people following heightened anti-immigrant tensions in the province.
Operational Shift To Musina
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration confirmed that the jurisdiction of the Musina Refugee Reception Office is being extended to conduct necessary verifications, allowing for more streamlined repatriation through the Beitbridge border post. As of 26 June 2026, over 15,000 Malawian nationals have already been processed for either voluntary repatriation or deportation.
“Given the gravity of this situation and the need to expedite the deportation and repatriation of these foreign nationals, we have taken a decision to extend the jurisdiction of the Musina Refugee Reception Office in the Limpopo Province to also conduct verifications,” the IMC Technical Committee on Migration stated.
Community Impact And Logistical Hurdles
The transition has been hampered by significant logistical challenges, primarily a shortage of buses required to transport individuals from the Durban site to the north of the country. Local authorities, including the eThekwini Municipality, have repeatedly urged the public to stop directing displaced individuals to the unequipped Durban site, which was never intended to serve as a long-term transit facility.
The Durban Drive-In site is not a provincial reception centre, transit facility or accommodation site for foreign nationals from elsewhere in South Africa,” the eThekwini Municipality said in an official statement.
The strain on resources in Durban surfaced after threats and the circulation of an unofficial 30 June deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave the country triggered mass displacements. The shift to the Limpopo facility is intended to leverage existing border infrastructure to handle the scale of the ongoing repatriation programme. Officials are expected to continue working through transport constraints to ensure the orderly movement of those registered for departure.