Authorities in South Africa have revealed that they intercepted numerous buses carrying over 400 unaccompanied young children from Zimbabwe in a recent anti-trafficking operation.
The officials suspect that the children were being trafficked into South Africa, although an organization representing foreign nationals living in South Africa believes that they were likely headed to visit their parents, who are working in South Africa, for the end-of-year holidays. The buses were ultimately sent back to Zimbabwe.
There are over 1 million Zimbabweans living in South Africa, with many having moved there illegally over the past 15 years to escape the economic turmoil in Zimbabwe.
The South African Border Management Agency commissioner, Mike Masiapato, reported that police stopped and searched 42 buses coming in from Zimbabwe and discovered 443 unaccompanied children under the age of 8. These children were denied entry and were sent back to Zimbabwe.
It is a common occurrence for Zimbabwean children to travel to South Africa to visit their parents at the end of the year. The Africa Diaspora Forum, which represents foreign nationals in South Africa, stated that it is crucial for parents to arrange all necessary documentation for their children when sending them to South Africa, as it is irresponsible to let them travel without the required documentation.
While around 178,000 Zimbabweans legally live and work in South Africa under an exemption permit, the South African census in 2022 indicated that there may be over a million Zimbabweans living in the country, with some estimates suggesting as many as 3 million.
South Africa, being the most advanced economy in Africa, launched a new border force in October to crack down on illegal immigration from Zimbabwe and other countries.
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