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Anti-immigrant groups in South Africa have established a June 30 deadline for undocumented immigrants to depart the country, organizing widespread demonstrations on that date and issuing threats of a “national shutdown” should the government fail to enact stringent immigration reforms.
Anti-foreigner sentiment has surged in recent months, with protests erupting across major urban centers nationwide.
Read more‘Chased like dogs’: Anti-migrant mobs force foreigners to evacuate
Three fatalities occurred during recent anti-immigration protests in KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces, including a Malawian national and two Mozambican citizens.
The South African Police Services deployed a dedicated $36 million operation in anticipation of renewed protests, according to acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, who emphasized authorities would not condone violence or disorder.
Under pressure from anti-immigrant factions, the government in early June introduced measures targeting undocumented nationals, including enhanced enforcement of the Immigration Act and strengthened border control efforts. Officials are also exploring technological modernization of immigration systems in coordination with neighboring African countries.
Read more‘It’s organized intimidation’: Escalating anti-foreigner violence spreads through South Africa
Confronted with violent threats, foreign nationals have formed solidarity networks. FRANCE 24 interviewed two refugees forced to flee their homes in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal after anti-immigrant protests in early June. Dozens of foreigners remained outside Home Affairs offices for weeks, awaiting repatriation processes following prolonged stays in South Africa.
‘You will die together’
Marjolain Mabako stands amid belongings of over 550 displaced individuals—blankets, water containers, and personal effects—while women and children cluster near meager possessions. “Protesters forcibly entered homes, shouting: ‘You must leave this country immediately,'” Mabako recounted two days after facing direct threats. He holds refugee status after fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) two decades prior. At the Home Affairs office, where he has waited over a month alongside numerous others, escalating arrivals persist daily.
“Victims unite here, prepared to face mortality collectively,” Mabako stated. A former barber, he cannot return to his DRC homeland or resume employment. Protesters vandalized residences and workplaces: “They destroyed everything. Stealing and beatings were rampant,” he described. On the day of visitation to the Home Affairs office, a foreign national sustained injuries during market violence.
Christian Tchizungu, originating from Bukavu—a city now controlled by Rwandan-backed rebels in eastern DRC—also possesses South African refugee status but expresses no future prospects locally. Alongside his spouse, he operated a beauty salon in Durban for two decades. After forced expulsion from their business location, Tchizungu stated conditions might now rival DRC’s instability. “Situation exceeds home hardships. It’s unbearable,” he asserted, believing June 30 threats would manifest as lethal violence.
“Starting June 15th, they will kill us,” Tchizungu warned. After displacement to pavement alongside fellow refugees, he questioned relocation possibilities: “Back home—war. Here—unchanged hardship. Where to go? Even here, rejection persists.”
‘Between the hammer and the anvil’
Immigration enforcement operations have intensified since 2024, with deportations rising 46% over two fiscal years—from 58,000 in 2024-2025 to 109,344 by March 31, 2026
Post-protest, authorities processed more than 8,000 foreign nationals for repatriation at Beitbridge border facilities within two weeks.
For Mabako, repatriation implies abandoning livelihoods to return to active conflict zones. A Ghanaian neighbor who returned recently expressed, “We stayed because no alternative exists.” He described a “hammer and anvil” predicament: “Home brings war. Here, dire conditions persist.”
“When contemplating home’s war versus this persistent strife, uncertainty dominates,” Tchizungu reflected. “Even here, exclusion prevails.”
‘Leave now’
Zulu activist Nkosikhona “Phakel’umthakathi” Ndabandaba issued urgent warnings in online footage: “June 30 is the deadline, but departure must occur immediately.”
The March and March anti-immigration coalition has gained momentum through repeated protests preceding the Tuesday deadline.
Approximately 20 anti-immigration organizations, including March and March, have confirmed involvement in coordinated national demonstrations coinciding with the June 30 deadline.
South Africa has experienced similar unrest previously. May 2008 xenophobic violence caused 62 fatalities nationwide, displacing thousands of foreign citizens internally or triggering cross-border migrations. Within this total, 21 victims were mistakenly identified as foreign nationals despite being South African citizens.
Xenowatch—tracking xenophobic incidents since apartheid’s end—reported sharp escalation post-2008. Of 698 recorded xenophobic fatalities since 1994, 570 occurred between 2008 and June of the current year.
Human rights groups like Lawyers for Human Rights and Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia voiced concerns about violent demonstrations. Sharon Ekambaram, head of Lawyers for Human Rights’ Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme, highlighted concerning trends: “Rise of vigilante groups targeting foreigners through racial profiling causes serious human rights violations.” Her organization received numerous cases of legal residents and documented migrants facing violence.
“Attacks against South Africa’s African diaspora constitute grave human rights breaches,” Ekambaram declared. She contrasted current events with South Africa’s human rights leadership potential, describing violence against “fellow Black Africans” as damaging to international reputation.
Tensions stem from intersecting factors including high unemployment rates, inadequate public services, corruption, and economic stagnation. Anti-immigration narratives frequently blame foreign populations for job shortages, overcrowded schools, and overwhelmed healthcare infrastructure, despite 2022 census data showing migrants comprise just 4.1% of South Africa’s population.
Ekambaram cautioned against politicized xenophobia diverting attention from systemic governance failures: “Narratives scapegoating migrants obscure corruption and mismanagement stealing public resources needed for socio-economic development.” Upcoming local elections may exacerbate this rhetoric.
With June 30 approaching, anxiety escalates. Ekambaram’s law clinic reports daily arrivals of refugees and asylum-seekers seeking legal protection, many experiencing trauma. “Individuals hide to avoid targeted violence,” she noted. “Fear of fatal attacks intensifies daily.”
“Such inhuman treatment of fellow African citizens stains South Africa’s global standing,” Ekambaram emphasized. She maintained “South Africa should exemplify continental human rights leadership,” particularly welcoming cross-border solidarity.
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