South Africa Deports, Repatriates Over 53,000 Migrants in Immigration Crackdown
Hundreds of Malawian nationals gathered outside their country’s embassy in Johannesburg on, seeking assistance to return home as South Africa intensified its crackdown on undocumented migrants amid rising anti-immigrant tensions.
Bashil Austin, one of those waiting, appealed to the Malawian government to assist citizens who no longer feel safe in South Africa and want to come home.
South African authorities said on Sunday more than 53,000 African migrants had been deported or voluntarily repatriated in one month as part of an immigration enforcement campaign.
The Justice Minister said that more than 80 percent of the people returned were Malawian nationals, but officials did not say how many were formally deported and how many returned voluntarily.
The repatriation exercise came at a time of a wave of protests against illegal migration, some of which turned violent and heightened fears among foreign nationals living in the country.
Several African governments have since arranged for transport to bring their citizens back home, after increasing reports of xenophobic attacks and insecurity.
South African police are investigating the deaths of three migrants – two Mozambicans and one Malawian – during the unrest.
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Nigeria has also said that two of its nationals were killed in the violence, a claim South African authorities have denied, saying the deaths were not related to the protests.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced plans to beef up border security and enforce immigration laws, acknowledging growing public concerns over illegal migration. But he dismissed claims by anti-migrant groups that immigrants are to blame for South Africa’s high unemployment and crime rates, saying there is no evidence to support such assertions.
The crackdown has put pressure on diplomatic relations with several African countries, who have condemned what they say is rising xenophobia in South Africa.
Anti-migrant groups had earlier set June 30 as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country, but the South African government had dismissed the ultimatum.
The announcement nonetheless led to thousands of Malawians gathering at a temporary immigration centre in Durban, where many sought voluntary repatriation while others were deported for lacking valid immigration documents.
South Africa remains a top destination for migrants from all over Africa due to its relatively stronger economy, although there are recurring tensions over immigration.
