AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA – Anti-immigration protests under way as thousands of migrants return home in recent weeks

Johannesburg – A nationwide day of protest against illegal immigration is under way in South Africa’s major cities, following a call by organizations including “Operation Dudula” , which had set June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

Demonstrations are taking place in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and other urban centers. So far, the protests have remained largely peaceful.
However, groups of migrants have reportedly sought refuge in at least one police station to escape demonstrators. Although police had warned on the eve of the protests that anyone carrying weapons would be arrested, videos circulating on social media appear to show people marching and carrying sticks and cutting weapons.
In recent days, Msgr. Sithembele Anton Sipuka, Archbishop of Cape Town, President of the South African Council of Churches , appealed for dialogue to address the growing wave of xenophobia that has targeted foreign communities in for weeks . On June 24, Msgr. Thulani Victor Mbuyisa of Kokstad, President of the Bishops’ Commission for Justice and Peace, also called for calm ahead of today’s protests.

“As the June 30 deadline for the expulsion of all undocumented foreign nationals from South Africa approaches, we appeal for calm and urge all those participating in anti-immigration demonstrations to refrain from any form of violence against foreign nationals and to uphold and respect the rule of law,” Msgr. Mbuyisa said.

The anti-immigration movement has gained momentum amid mounting tensions over employment in a country facing persistently high unemployment and widespread crime. Immigrants are increasingly being blamed for the economic and social hardships affecting South Africans, particularly among the poorest and most marginalized sectors of society.

For weeks, thousands of migrants have left the country or been repatriated due to fears of violence and unrest. According to estimates from South African intelligence services, more than 25,000 repatriations have been recorded in recent weeks. Today, more than 150 buses carrying migrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia are scheduled to cross the border at Beitbridge, in Musina, Limpopo province.

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