South Africa Deploys Police Amid Violent Anti-Immigrant Protests
Thousands of police officers have been deployed across South Africa following large-scale protests against illegal immigration that resulted in destructive clashes in multiple cities. According to Reuters, at least four people have been killed as violence and looting spread across the country, marking the most significant migration-related unrest since 2008.
The protests, which involved thousands of mostly poor or unemployed South Africans, were organized ahead of a June 30 deadline demanding the departure of all illegal migrants. Participants claimed that foreign migrants have taken jobs by accepting lower wages and have contributed to higher crime rates. While many of the marches were described as peaceful, police reported arresting several looters and firing rubber bullets to disperse crowds.
Widespread Displacement and Vandalism
The unrest has led to significant displacement and property damage. In Germiston, near Johannesburg, demonstrators entered homes to evict residents they suspected of being foreign nationals, handing them over to police to demand documentation checks. In the Soweto township, the national broadcaster SABC reported that protesters looted shacks belonging to foreign nationals, while rioters in Thembisa threw stones at police and suspected migrants.
Witnesses alleged that landlords in Durban and Johannesburg have conducted illegal evictions of foreign tenants to avoid further conflict. As a result of the violence, many shops have closed and foreign workers have remained in their homes. Reuters reported that 100 Congolese nationals have been left sleeping on the streets of Durban, and thousands of foreign nationals from other African countries fled the region prior to the June 30 deadline.
