DURBAN, South Africa (FN) — Fear and uncertainty grip thousands of undocumented migrants in South Africa as a deadline set by anti-migrant protesters approaches, demanding foreigners leave the country by June 30.
Esnat Joseph, a 36-year-old Malawian woman, fled her home in Durban after armed men stormed her settlement. “They cut my husband on his head and his neck. They were holding his neck like they wanted to kill him. Because of God he still survived, but he’s in the hospital,” she told the BBC, clutching her one-year-old triplets.
She is among nearly 7,000 foreigners, mostly Malawians; who have gathered in an open field, relying on aid groups for food and blankets. Many report door-to-door intimidation by men wielding machetes and whips.
The protests, led by groups such as March and March and opposition party ActionSA, have been largely peaceful but increasingly hostile, with marchers chanting “Mabahambe”, Zulu for “They must go.” Protest leaders deny xenophobia, insisting undocumented migrants are breaking the law.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against scapegoating foreigners, saying intolerance is not the solution to South Africa’s economic challenges. The country faces one of the world’s highest unemployment rates at 32.7%, with 350,000 job losses recorded in early 2026, mostly among young people.
Repatriations are underway. Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe have arranged buses and flights for citizens, with about 3,500 foreigners volunteering to leave. More than 500 Nigerians were recently repatriated, with authorities confirming they had been in the country illegally.
Yet even legal migrants say they are being targeted. A Burundian mother of four with refugee papers said: “I am very afraid for my life. The children are afraid. There is no respect. When you pass by here, you are insulted. The children are insulted even at school.”
Videos circulating online have fueled tensions, including one showing a Ghanaian man harassed by protesters, prompting Ghana to summon South Africa’s ambassador. Another widely shared clip features activist Nkosikhona Ndabandaba telling a Congolese man: “30 June is the deadline… leave now.”
Human rights groups warn the situation could spiral into violence reminiscent of past xenophobic attacks in 2008, 2015, 2016, and 2019. In 2008, 62 people were killed, including 21 South Africans.
Ramaphosa has outlined a five-point plan to address illegal migration, including stricter asylum rules, quotas for naturalisation, and penalties for employers hiring undocumented workers. Analysts say the crisis is being exploited by politicians ahead of local elections in November, with misinformation fueling anger.
“This has been an ongoing phenomenon in South Africa and more recently, it has been associated with elections,” said Sharon Ekambaram of the Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia movement.
For migrants like Joseph, the countdown is terrifying. “I have decided to go back home for a while and close down my hair salon because of threats,” another Malawian woman said. “We’re terrified of what would happen now.”
