South Africa is facing a wave of anti-immigration protests following an ultimatum issued to undocumented migrants. Arrests, violence, and tensions are reviving the specter of xenophobia.
South Africa is traversing a new social and political crisis centered around immigration. Since the end of June 2026, several cities across the country, including Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, have been the scene of protests organized by anti-immigration movements demanding the departure of undocumented foreigners. These groups had set a symbolic deadline of June 30 for undocumented migrants to leave the country—an ultimatum with no legal standing, yet alarming enough to instill fear across many foreign communities. According to Reuters, more than 900 people have been arrested during these mobilizations and associated unrest, notably for public violence, looting, theft, immigration violations, or aiding undocumented migrants.
The situation is serious because it extends far beyond the scope of simple political protest. While most marches remained under control due to a heavy police presence, several violent incidents have been reported. In Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg, one person was killed during looting aimed at local convenience stores, which are often run by foreigners. In Durban, tension has also been high, with migrants living in fear of being attacked or expelled by groups of citizens presenting themselves as defenders of the national order. Authorities have deployed police and military reinforcements to several provinces to prevent the situation from degenerating into widespread violence.
These protests are taking place against a highly challenging economic backdrop. South Africa is experiencing massive unemployment, persistent poverty, strained public services, and high crime rates. Anti-immigration movements accuse foreigners of taking jobs from South Africans, saturating hospitals, exploiting public assistance, and fueling insecurity. However, these accusations are strongly contested by numerous human rights organizations, which believe that migrants are being used as scapegoats for much deeper issues: economic crisis, inequality, corruption, public mismanagement, and weak state authority in certain areas. Reuters points out that these groups primarily target African migrants, particularly those from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Nigeria.
The xenophobic dimension of this crisis is particularly worrying to observers. South Africa has already experienced several waves of violence against foreigners, notably in 2008, 2015, and 2019. The current movement thus revives a painful memory: that of torched businesses, hunted migrants, displaced families, and entire neighborhoods plunged into fear. Human Rights Watch recently warned of new xenophobic attacks and the actions of groups like Operation Dudula, which are accused of preventing foreigners from accessing public services, including healthcare facilities. A South African court ruling had already banned certain activists from blocking migrants’ access to medical care, showing that the issue is not merely a matter of political debate, but also one of protecting fundamental rights.
The South African government finds itself in a delicate position. On one hand, it asserts its desire to combat illegal immigration and improve border control. On the other, it condemns the actions of groups seeking to enforce the law themselves on the streets. This ambiguity fuels the tension. For migrants, even those with legal papers or refugee status, fear has become a daily reality. Some have left their homes, others have closed their businesses or are considering leaving, sometimes leaving behind children enrolled in school or families settled for years. Reuters reported even before the major protests on June 30 that several migrants were seeking to leave the country out of fear of violence.
Above all, the current crisis reveals a deep fracture within South African society. Immigration has become the visible symbol of a much broader malaise: a sense of abandonment, urban poverty, competition within the informal economy, distrust toward institutions, and the rise of aggressive nationalist rhetoric. With local political deadlines approaching, certain movements are also attempting to transform this social anger into electoral power. This is what makes the situation particularly dangerous: when economic hardships are translated into hostility against a targeted population labeled as responsible, the risk of collective violence rises sharply.
South Africa is therefore confronted with a dual challenge. It must address the genuine concerns of its population regarding employment, security, and migration management, while simultaneously preventing these concerns from turning into the persecution of foreigners. Firmness against illegal immigration cannot become a pretext for violence, looting, or migrant hunting. If authorities fail to restore a clear legal framework, protect vulnerable communities, and defuse hate speech, this crisis could open a new chapter of xenophobic violence in a country already deeply weakened.