Using Technology to Address Cross Border Crime and Illegal Migration: The Case of South Africa

Abstract

The 1996 Constitution of South Africa includes the right of every South African to freedom and security. It is the government’s responsibility to guarantee that national security is maintained and that residents within the limits of South African borders are protected. Based on this assumption, the issue of border management and migration regulations is presumed to be critical. Poor border management and unregulated migration jeopardise national security and endanger residents’ freedom and security. This article contends that South Africa’s inadequate border control and unrestrained migration have jeopardised the country’s national security. As a result of the inadequacy of border control in South Africa, South Africans have resorted to various xenophobic actions, with many foreign nationals losing their lives in the process. This article examines the current policy responses to migration and security at border crossings and what has gone wrong in South African border management. A qualitative research technique was used to fulfil the goals of this paper.