South Africa says it has removed more than 53,000 foreigners in five weeks
South African minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said 53,499 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated over roughly five weeks, in what amounts to one of the country’s biggest crackdowns on undocumented migrants in years. Malawians were the largest group removed, followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans. The government said it is not funding voluntary departures.
The removals accelerated after anti-immigrant protests on 30 June across several provinces, some of which turned violent and involved intimidation and looting. Demonstrators have blamed migrants for high unemployment, crime and strained public services. The unrest prompted governments including Ghana, Malawi and Nigeria to begin helping their citizens leave over safety concerns.
The scale signals a hardening of Pretoria’s migration stance under domestic political pressure, even as the UN has warned against scapegoating migrants for South Africa’s deeper economic problems. The mix of state removals and protest-driven departures blurs the line between enforcement policy and a broader exodus.