Anti-immigration protests erupted in major South African cities including Durban and Johannesburg in May 2024 [1].
These demonstrations signal growing social instability as citizens link undocumented migration to economic hardship, occurring shortly before the November 2024 local elections [2].
Protesters demanded that the government tighten border security to curb the flow of undocumented migrants [2]. Demonstrators said high unemployment and rising crime were the primary drivers of the unrest [1].
Police intervened to separate opposing protest groups and conducted document checks on foreign nationals [1]. Hundreds of foreign nationals were taken to the Department of Home Affairs for these verification processes [1]. Officials said only a small fraction of those processed lacked proper documentation [1].
The unrest has specifically affected foreign nationals, including Nigerians and refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo [1]. Following the protests, 130 Nigerians are seeking repatriation [3].
International and domestic reactions to the events differ. The Globe and Mail reported that the protests sparked a continental backlash and were described as xenophobic [4]. The South African government rejected these claims of xenophobia regarding the anti-migrant protests [5].
“Hundreds of foreign nationals were taken to the Department of Home Affairs for document checks”
The intersection of economic distress and migration policy often creates volatility in South Africa. By linking undocumented migrants to crime and job scarcity, these protests highlight a systemic failure to address unemployment, while the timing suggests that immigration security may become a central wedge issue in the upcoming November local elections.
