More than 15,100 foreign nationals have been processed for repatriation and deportation from South Africa this week. Governments across Africa are scrambling to evacuate their citizens ahead of tense anti-immigration protests.
Citizen-led activist coalitions issued a strict June 30 ultimatum demanding that undocumented foreigners leave the country. This triggered a massive humanitarian exodus and localized panic across major metropolitan hubs, including Durban and Cape Town.
Fearing a repeat of historical xenophobic violence, countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria launched emergency voluntary repatriation programs. Thousands of families packed into makeshift open-field camps and diplomatic consulates awaiting transport.
South Africa Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato noted that about 9,000 Malawian nationals and 3,000 Zimbabwean nationals had been processed through Beitbridge Border Post. At the same time, a further 900 Ghanaians and 300 Nigerians were repatriated through or Tambo International Airport.
Meanwhile, Uganda foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday that one of its citizen has been killed and 746 Ugandans have voluntarily registered to be evacuated and its expecting more to register; noting that many have already left south Africa on their own following the June 30 deadline.
The South African government has deployed thousands of police officers and integrated a 35,000-strong private security force. Officials have formally declared Tuesday a normal working day, vowing to arrest any violent vigilantes.
Amid the exodus, South Africa’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration confirmed that 164 people have already been arrested for public order offenses and incitement to violence as regional tensions continue to spike.
“Enforcement of the law is the responsibility of the State,” said Minister of Justice Mmamoloko Kubayi. “We are ready as a State to protect every person, citizens and foreign nationals, against abuse.”
Earlier in June, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned its citizens against blaming migrants for the country’s economic crisis, insisting that foreign nationals must not become scapegoats for domestic structural failures.
