Police in South Africa turned to rubber bullets and stun grenades Wednesday to disperse migrants who clashed with officers near a community hall in Durban, where thousands of people are being processed for deportation.
The violence unfolded against a backdrop of rising anti-immigration tensions in Africa’s wealthiest nation, which has seen a wave of anti-migrant demonstrations and reported attacks on foreign nationals in recent weeks.
Authorities say the majority of those gathered near the hall are Malawian citizens who first arrived at the location more than a week ago, hoping to board government-provided buses back to their homeland voluntarily. The premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province, where Durban is located, said nearly 10,000 Malawians have been waiting in a park beside the hall for a chance to go home.
However, delays in getting people out of the country prompted South African officials to set up an immigration court at the hall and begin what the Ministry of Home Affairs described as “formal deportation processes.”
Footage aired by South African television stations captured groups of protesters hurling rocks, sticks, and logs at officers in the surrounding streets, while police responded with stun grenades and rubber bullets. Local media reported that the confrontations broke out among small groups of migrants who were frustrated by how long the process was taking.
The Home Affairs Ministry confirmed that at least 1,876 individuals among those at the site have been found to be in South Africa without valid documentation and will be deported. Verification of others’ immigration status is still underway, and the mayor of Durban indicated that more than 6,000 Malawians could ultimately face deportation.
Malawi is among at least five African nations that have moved to bring their citizens home from South Africa, pointing to threats and violent attacks against them as the reason. Hundreds of Malawian nationals have already been transported home by bus. Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have also arranged flights or buses to help their citizens leave the country.
South Africa’s government has spoken out against a series of attacks on foreign nationals, which have been fueled by a recent surge in anti-migrant sentiment among certain groups.
As the continent’s most developed economy, South Africa has been ramping up immigration enforcement. Over the past two years, the Home Affairs Ministry says more than 100,000 people living in the country illegally have been deported. During that same period, more than 500,000 additional individuals were turned away at the border after being caught attempting to enter South Africa without authorization.
