Thousands of migrants across South Africa are fleeing their homes or gathering near consulates and in open fields, fearful of violence ahead of anti-immigration protests planned for June 30.
Camps and departures
In Durban, more than 3,000 Malawian nationals have been sheltering in an open field after fleeing attacks on homes and shops in surrounding townships, while migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and elsewhere have queued outside consulates for transport home, Al Jazeera reported. Several governments have organized repatriations: South African officials say thousands of Malawians have been sent home, and Nigeria and Ghana have flown out groups of their citizens. Some migrants, including people from conflict-hit areas, say they have nowhere safe to return to.
The deadline and the movements
The flashpoint is a June 30 deadline set by an anti-immigration movement known as March and March, founded in 2025, which has marched in several provinces demanding that undocumented migrants leave or face a national "shutdown." The older group Operation Dudula, which campaigns against illegal immigration, is also holding marches, including in central Johannesburg, Eyewitness News reported. Organizers say their campaign is peaceful and aimed at undocumented immigrants and enforcement of labor laws, not all foreigners; one leader argued that protecting the country is the government's responsibility, not theirs, Daily Maverick reported. Rights advocates note, however, that some online messages have warned of violence if migrants do not leave.
Violence already reported
The threat is not only prospective. Foreign-owned shops have been looted in several provinces in recent months, and at least five Mozambican nationals have died in unrest, including in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, according to Al Jazeera. Migrants describe being told to leave with little choice but to comply.
The government's response
Authorities have pledged to balance the right to protest with public safety. The acting police minister allocated a large budget — reported at 600 million rand — for policing around June 30 and said peaceful protest would be respected but "no acts of lawlessness, violence, intimidation or criminality will be tolerated," per Daily Maverick. The government has also pointed to a national plan against racism and xenophobia while addressing undocumented migration. A coalition of civil-society groups has called for organizers who incite violence to be arrested, and the South African Human Rights Commission has warned of a possible human rights crisis.
A recurring wound
South Africa hosts an estimated three to four million foreign-born residents — a small share of its roughly 63 million people — many drawn by its relatively stronger economy from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country has experienced repeated waves of xenophobic violence, notably in 2008, when scores of people were killed. Analysts argue that anti-migrant campaigns channel public anger over unemployment, poverty and strained services toward migrants who often face the same hardships. For now, thousands wait in the winter cold — for a bus, a flight, or simply for the fear to pass.
