Around 350 Mozambicans were arrested and repatriated by the South African authorities on Tuesday for illegally staying in the neighboring country.

They will be barred access to that country for the next five years, according to a report in the newspaper "O País".

The arrests took place at the Lebombo border post in Mpumalanga, at a time when the number of people processed and released has already reached 26,000, according to the local police.

This number of Mozambicans will be banned from entering neighboring South Africa for the next five years.

Faced with the situation of insecurity along the Ressano Garcia-Maputo corridor, the South African police say they have stepped up security and have even informed those crossing the border about the situation on home soil.

The South African authorities reiterate that they will continue to clamp down on all foreign nationals who are present in the country illegally.