South Africa and Immigration Tensions (Immigrants Flee)
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The African National Congress (ANC) governed South Africa for decades before losing its parliamentary majority in 2024 and being forced into a coalition government. The erosion of its support reflected years of mounting frustration over poverty, unemployment, violent crime, corruption, cronyism, inadequate housing, and poor public services. Alongside these longstanding grievances, immigration — particularly illegal immigration — had already become an increasingly contentious issue.
Against the backdrop of previous anti-immigrant violence, fresh protests have erupted across parts of South Africa. Many native South Africans argue that successive governments have ignored their concerns about illegal immigration, believing it intensifies competition for scarce jobs, places additional pressure on housing and public services, and contributes to crime and a growing sense of insecurity. Whether every claim is supported by evidence or not, these perceptions have become politically significant among many struggling communities.
The government has deployed police in an effort to prevent violence, while many foreign nationals have already fled, fearing a repeat of previous attacks. The BBC reports: “Many have already fled to escape violence and intimidation. South African police say 25,000 have been repatriated so far. Most are from other African countries.”
Too often, public debate descends into accusations of “racism,” “bigotry,” “intolerance,” or “xenophobia.” While genuine prejudice exists and violence against immigrants must be unequivocally condemned, reducing every concern about immigration to moral failings risks ignoring the economic despair felt by many impoverished South Africans. This, in turn, can deepen resentment rather than resolve it.
For affluent political elites and middle-class commentators, the impact of large-scale migration may seem limited. For unemployed and impoverished South Africans, however, the issue is often viewed through the lens of survival. Similar tensions have emerged in countries as diverse as France, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and South Africa, where many disadvantaged citizens believe that rapid demographic and economic change is occurring while their own prospects continue to deteriorate.
Anti-immigration groups have been protesting for months. Many Nigerians have returned home out of fear, while migrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and other neighbouring countries have also departed following threats and ultimatums issued by protest groups. The unrest has also exposed the limited ability of the South African state to reassure both citizens and migrants.
The Guardian reports: “The protests have been organised by anti-migration vigilante groups, including March and March, who set an unofficial 30 June deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Organisers insist they are focused on undocumented migrants and will demonstrate peacefully, but foreigners with documentation have also complained of targeted harassment.”
Governments including Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe have condemned developments in South Africa while assisting in the repatriation of their citizens.
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated: “Illegal immigration is not the cause of our social and economic difficulties.”
That assessment will be viewed differently across South African society. Yet many critics contend that the deeper issue is the ANC’s long record of failing to address the poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion that have fuelled public anger. Immigration has become a focal point because broader socioeconomic problems remain unresolved.
France 24 reports: “The South African government has intensified its immigration enforcement efforts in recent years. Cumulatively, deportations rose 46 percent over the past two financial years, from just shy of 58,000 in 2024-2025 to 109,344 as of March 31, 2026.”
Nevertheless, many struggling South Africans believe these measures fall well short of addressing their concerns.
South Africa has witnessed repeated attacks against undocumented migrants — and, at times, immigrants more broadly — which have resulted in deaths. Such violence deserves unequivocal condemnation. At the same time, many South Africans argue that political leaders cannot simply denounce the perpetrators while ignoring the decades of economic hardship, unemployment, and social neglect that have left many indigenous poor feeling abandoned by the state. Lasting stability will require both the protection of migrants from violence (while tackling illegal immigration) and credible policies that restore hope to South Africa’s most marginalized citizens.
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