Over 25,000 Migrants Leave South Africa as Anti-Foreigner Tensions Escalate
More than 25,000 foreign nationals have left South Africa in recent weeks as growing anti-immigrant protests and security concerns continue to spread across the country, according to the country’s National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS).
The departures come ahead of an unofficial June 30 deadline declared by citizen-led anti-illegal immigration groups, which have demanded that undocumented migrants leave the country.
Although the deadline has no legal backing, it has heightened anxiety among many foreign nationals living in South Africa.
Governments including Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have stepped in to assist their citizens, arranging voluntary evacuation flights and buses following weeks of demonstrations targeting migrants.
NATJOINTS said the repatriation exercise remains ongoing, noting that security agencies have deployed additional personnel, including specialised K9 units and air support, to monitor the situation and maintain order.
The latest figure represents a significant increase from last week, when authorities reported that about 15,000 Malawian nationals had been processed for return.
Earlier this month, nearly 1,000 Ghanaians and around 600 Nigerians were also flown home.
Anti-illegal immigration groups have continued to organise marches across several cities, insisting that undocumented foreigners should leave the country.
Reports indicate that in some communities, mobs have gone door to door demanding identification documents from migrants or ordering them to leave.
Authorities say the unrest has already claimed four lives. Police identified the victims as two Mozambicans, one Ethiopian and one Malawian.
Fear of further attacks has forced thousands of migrants to gather at temporary assembly points in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg as they wait for transportation back to their home countries.
South Africa has for decades attracted migrant workers from across Africa because of its relatively stronger economy.
However, persistent unemployment, which remains above 30 percent, has fuelled recurring anti-immigrant sentiments, with some South Africans accusing undocumented migrants of taking jobs and placing additional pressure on public services.
The country has experienced similar outbreaks of xenophobic violence in the past. One of the deadliest episodes occurred in 2008, when attacks on foreign nationals left 62 people dead and displaced thousands more.
