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4w ago

South Africa Seeks Africa‑wide Talks as Migrants Flee After Anti‑Immigrant Protests

The government says broader talks will reframe migration around push‑pull drivers to secure regional cooperation before a SADC summit in Durban.

FILE -A protester dressed traditional attire marches against illegal immigration, in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
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People awaiting repatriation gather around to board a bus headed to Zimbabwe at a repatriation centre in Musina near the Beitbridge border crossing with Zimbabwe on July 9, 2026. Several thousands more foreign nationals clamoured to leave South Africa on July 3, many of them gathered near the Zimbabwe border after a push that has already seen around 35,000 go home. The exodus began weeks ago as fringe groups began demanding all illegal migrants leave by June 30, in a campaign that saw violent protests and clashes. Thousands of foreigners awaited the journey home inside sprawling white tarpaulin tents serving as a temporary repatriation centre after fleeing deadly anti-immigrant protests in South Africa. More than 21,000 people had been housed and processed at the facility, according to its manager, Limpopo provincial Home Affairs chief Albert Matsaung. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The South African government is pressing for continentwide migration talks to move the focus from domestic enforcement to the economic and political causes of irregular migration.
  • Officials reported that about 68,000 people were repatriated between June and July, while independent business and analyst estimates put the total exodus at more than 160,000, creating a disputed scale of departures.
  • Vigilante marches and door‑to‑door expulsions have led to assaults and at least four killings this year, and anti‑immigrant groups such as the March and March movement have vowed weekly protests to demand faster deportations.
  • Authorities have reduced capacity at the Musina processing site from 20,000 to 1,500 people, and businesses report immediate labour and supply disruptions in agriculture, textiles and transport that could ripple across regional trade links.
  • The dispute is generating diplomatic strain — the African Union rejected a Ghana motion to single out South Africa, neighbouring states have repatriated nationals, and leaders are expected to discuss coordinated responses at the upcoming SADC meeting.