The Durban repatriation site is under growing pressure as more undocumented Malawian nationals arrive while officials try to process those already waiting to return home.

According to IOL, Home Affairs KwaZulu-Natal manager Cyril Mncwabe said officials had already processed about 7,000 people to date. However, he warned that the operation had become difficult to control because new groups continued arriving without a clear cut-off point.

Home Affairs Battles Rising Numbers At Durban Site

Mncwabe described the Durban Drive-in site as a “bottomless pit” because authorities did not know how many more people would arrive. He said officials were first trying to clear people moved from Sherwood, where thousands had gathered before being transferred.

“We have already dispatched about 11 buses that are currently on site, and nine of those buses have already left,” Mncwabe told IOL on Monday. He said the department would keep processing people for as long as possible to make space for others entering the site.

The Durban repatriation site has also received people dropped off by e-hailing vehicles and other transport. Mncwabe said officials could not leave people outside indefinitely because they could not allow them to sleep on the streets.

He said the number on site was difficult to confirm after a registration plan failed on Sunday night. The plan was to register those moved from Sherwood and issue wristbands for identification, but buses from Pietermaritzburg brought additional people who were not part of the original camp group.

Overcrowding Follows Delays In Repatriation Process

The latest pressure follows days of overcrowding at Sherwood Community Hall and nearby areas. EWN reported last week that about 8,000 Malawians were waiting for repatriation, while AP reported that authorities had started using a second temporary site in Durban to ease congestion.

GroundUp also reported that the new overflow site was intended to reduce pressure at Sherwood and help speed up departures. However, Home Affairs officials said the process remained slow because people had to be documented before leaving South Africa.

Mncwabe estimated that between 7,000 and 8,000 people were at the Durban repatriation site, while more continued to gather outside. He said the failed registration system made exact numbers hard to verify.

Officials and Humanitarian Concerns

The situation has raised health and safety concerns because women, children and families have been among those waiting for transport. Earlier reports by eNCA said at least 12 babies had been born to Malawian women while the repatriation process dragged on.

AP reported that police used rubber bullets and stun grenades on 17 June 2026 after migrants protested over delays near the processing area. Officials have since continued efforts to document and move people in coordination with Malawian authorities.