Thousands of people have marched in South Africa’s main cities to demand that all undocumented migrants leave the country. Police officers, backed by private security guards, have been deployed due to fears that protests could turn violent. Anti-migrant groups had set Tuesday as the deadline for undocumented migrants to leave. Many foreigners have already fled to escape violence and intimidation.
Mass Repatriation Underway
South African police say 25,000 people have been repatriated so far, most from other African countries. One undocumented Malawian told the BBC he was “happy to be going back” but “heartbroken” to be leaving behind four young children. The Ministry of Police said the protests have largely been peaceful across the country, with isolated incidents of looting and attempted looting.
Violence in Johannesburg Suburbs
In Johannesburg, the financial capital, shops in the city centre were closed, while police visibility is high on major streets. The military has been deployed in Hillbrow, a suburb where many African migrants live, following reports of a teenager being shot and a car being torched, local media report. Some protesters threw bricks, breaking the windows of some homes in Yeoville, another suburb with a high migrant population. In a neighbourhood in Germiston, about 15km from Johannesburg, demonstrators went to homes, evicting residents they suspected were foreign nationals and handing them over to police officers, insisting they check their documentation, local media report.
Arrests and Business Closures
Police said they had arrested five people for the alleged looting of a foreign-owned shop in Johannesburg’s biggest township, Soweto. About 10 people were also arrested for looting in KwaZulu-Natal province, while a woman was arrested for assaulting a police officer and a man for “intimidation” following reports of a foreign national being beaten up. Businesses in central Durban, the main city in the province, were also shut.
Protesters' Demands
Protesters handed over a memorandum listing their demands to government officials in Durban and Johannesburg. The leader of anti-migrant group March and March, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, said they would protest every Thursday for the next six months to force the government to “get rid of” undocumented migrants who were still in South Africa. A demonstrator from another anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, told the BBC they would “push the police” to arrest foreigners who are not legally in the country.
Government Response
President Cyril Ramaphosa met some of the protest leaders on the eve of Tuesday’s marches to defuse tensions. He has repeatedly warned demonstrators to act peacefully, while also accepting the need for immigration reforms. “Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully,” he reminded citizens in his weekly newsletter. “They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution. The right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he wrote.
Statistics and Context
There are more than three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa, according to official figures. The statistics do not record the many more migrants believed to be in the country without papers. Police said that about 50,000 migrants had been arrested since January for being in the country illegally. Many African migrants moved to South Africa around the time white-minority rule ended in 1994, hoping for a better life. But with South Africa facing an unemployment rate of more than 30%, anti-migrant sentiments have risen.
Regional Evacuations
Nigeria flew out 269 of its citizens on the eve of the protests, bringing to around 600 the number evacuated so far to the West African nation. More evacuations are expected in the coming days. Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have also been repatriating their citizens by plane or bus. Ahead of the deadline, thousands of migrants have been awaiting processing in temporary camps for several weeks out of fear for their safety.
