South Africa Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent

Anti-immigration protests and related violence were reported in Soweto, near Johannesburg, and in Durban. Police said 10 vehicles were set alight during clashes near a Home Affairs office in Orlando West, Soweto. Shops owned by foreign nationals were looted, firefighters responded to burning cars, and police closed nearby roads. In Durban, riot police were deployed after reports of looting and vehicle fires; authorities said 14 vehicles were torched there. The unrest followed a July Constitutional Court ruling that removed barriers preventing some migrants from applying for asylum, including people who entered South Africa irregularly. Authorities said refugee reception offices had been overwhelmed by applications. The government pledged to increase processing capacity and strengthen identity checks, while emphasizing that the court ruling did not automatically give applicants refugee status. Police reported no injuries in Soweto. They warned that people responsible for violence and property destruction would face prosecution. The article describes the protests, damage, and government response, while setting the unrest in the context of changes to asylum application rules.

At least 24 vehicles were set on fire and shops were looted during protests in Johannesburg and Durban on Thursday, after demonstrators opposed a Constitutional Court ruling that eased procedural barriers to applying for asylum. Acting national police commissioner Lt. Gen. Puleng Dimpane said 10 vehicles were torched in Soweto, a township in Johannesburg, and 14 in Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal province. Police arrested three people in Durban. Dimpane condemned the violence and property destruction, saying authorities would not allow attacks to continue and would pursue those responsible for the vehicle burnings. The protests took place amid months of anti-immigrant tensions. Demonstrators have called for the deportation of foreigners living in South Africa illegally, while the immediate trigger for these protests was the court decision on asylum access. In Soweto, the violence broke out near a Home Affairs office in Orlando West, according to metro police spokesperson Xolani Fihla. Several burned-out cars were left along the streets. No injuries were reported, and officers were still checking whether further vehicles had been burned. The report describes property damage, looting, arrests, and a police response, but does not give details about the court’s reasoning or the protesters’ identities.

Anti-immigration protests in Durban and Soweto turned violent on Thursday, with police reporting that at least 24 vehicles were set alight and foreign-owned shops were looted or attacked. In Durban, demonstrators gathered outside a refugee reception centre to demand that it stop accepting asylum applications. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds, and businesses in the city centre closed. Police said three foreign nationals were arrested over an alleged assault on a protester; no injuries had been reported at the time of the article. In Soweto, residents initially called for foreign-operated spaza shops to close. Protesters forced some traders from the area, and shops were attacked and a building set on fire. Gunshots were also reported during confrontations. Police deployed reinforcements and officials said those responsible for property destruction would be pursued. The demonstrations followed a Constitutional Court ruling in July that removed restrictions preventing some people from applying for asylum based on how they entered South Africa or whether they missed immigration deadlines. The ruling requires authorities to accept applications, but does not automatically grant refugee status or permission to remain permanently. Applications are assessed individually and remain subject to immigration checks. The Department of Home Affairs said the ruling had overwhelmed staff and raised public-safety concerns; the government said it would change how it implements the ruling while continuing to comply with it. Officials also said false claims about the judgment had encouraged the belief that undocumented migrants would automatically receive legal status. The unrest is part of a longer pattern of xenophobic violence in South Africa, where anti-immigration groups have staged protests and migrants have been forced to flee. The article places the latest events against widespread poverty, inequality and unemployment, noting that migrants are often blamed for job competition, crime and pressure on public services, though researchers say broad claims of this kind are unsupported by evidence. South Africa remains a major destination for people seeking work, safety and opportunity. The country’s history includes the 2008 attacks, in which more than 60 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced.

South Africa has suspended a new directive governing the processing of asylum applications after protests against refugee services turned violent in Durban and Johannesburg. The Department of Home Affairs issued the directive in response to a court ruling that said asylum seekers could not be excluded from the asylum system solely for procedural reasons, including entering the country illegally. The department said the ruling led to a rush of people at asylum offices, overwhelming them and placing staff at serious risk. Protests began in Durban, where a group demanded that a refugee center stop processing asylum applications. Vehicles were overturned and burned, and foreign-owned shops were looted. The unrest later spread to Soweto, where residents clashed with foreign shop owners and gunshots were heard. Authorities reported that rioters burned 14 cars in Durban and 10 in Soweto. Johannesburg police said no injuries had been reported at the time, while police in Durban used rubber bullets during clashes. The court had found parts of the government's refugee policy unconstitutional. The ruling prompted hundreds of people to visit government refugee centers, including some who reportedly did not qualify for asylum. The government stressed that the judgment did not automatically confer refugee status or permanent residence on anyone entering South Africa. The violence comes amid months of anti-immigrant protests and demands by populist groups that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country. Tens of thousands of people have reportedly fled or been repatriated amid international criticism. Although unemployment affects about a third of South Africa’s population, the country remains Africa’s largest economy and continues to attract migrants. Migrants are often blamed for job competition, crime, and pressure on public services, but social scientists say those accusations are not supported by evidence.