38,000 Malawians leave S.Africa after anti-migrant protests

South Africa's Migration Crackdown: Over 53,000 Deported or Repatriated Amid Anti-Migrant Unrest

South Africa has deported or repatriated more than 53,000 foreign nationals since 14 June, as part of a broad migration management campaign that follows weeks of sometimes violent anti-migrant protests across the country. The vast majority of those leaving were from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, according to officials. The drive has drawn international attention, with the United Nations warning against using migrants as scapegoats for South Africa's socioeconomic challenges.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced on Sunday that 53,449 people had been processed for deportation or repatriation between 14 June and 11 July. More than 80% were Malawian nationals, with Zimbabweans and Mozambicans next, she said. South Africa has also returned 1,159 people to Nigeria, 939 to Uganda, 431 to Kenya, and 86 to the Republic of Congo, according to the minister.

Separate reports from the border authority and other officials put the numbers broadly in the same range. The Border Management Authority's commissioner, Michael Masiapato, said more than 46,000 migrants had been repatriated and deported through Beitbridge alone since June 7, most of them Malawians. He added that nationally the number of people who left exceeded 60,000, with nationals of Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya taking flights organised by their governments.

Malawi has been particularly affected. Its Department of Disaster Management Affairs said Friday it had brought home 38,094 nationals between June 7 and July 8. Commissioner Wilson Moleni said more than 570 buses were involved in the repatriation, and six people had died from illness on the long journey—four in transit and two after crossing into Malawi. All were ill when they started the trip, but because they were being chased and moving from place to place, they were unable to access medicines and hospital care, Moleni said. Some spent time in camps in South Africa, which further worsened their conditions.

The repatriation effort has not been without tragedy. One of those who died was Kassim Jaffati, a 47-year-old Malawian who collapsed on a bus about 15km outside the Musina Repatriation Centre after complaining he felt unusually hot. The bus turned back, and he was declared dead on arrival. Police in Musina have opened an inquest.

Fifteen Malawians died when a bus crashed near the Nyamapanda border post in Zimbabwe on 5 May. Eight more died two days later in a crash near Louis Trichardt in Limpopo. On 30 June, a bus carrying 65 repatriated Malawians overturned near Beitbridge, killing the driver and injuring 11 passengers.

Government Response and Legal Measures

The government has strongly condemned illegal actions by what it calls isolated groups conducting identity checks on foreign nationals. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, chaired by Minister Kubayi, said that while South Africans remain within their right to protest against irregular migration, criminality will not be tolerated. "This is illegal, and members of the community who are part of these activities are warned to refrain from such conduct," Kubayi said in Pretoria. She reiterated that the management of immigration, border management, deportation, and facilitated repatriation is the exclusive responsibility of the State.

As of 8 July 2026, law enforcement had opened 205 cases and arrested 350 suspected persons in connection with incidents linked to unlawful conduct, intimidation, incitement, and related offences. Sixty-nine cases were pending investigation, and 112 cases were on the court roll.

The crackdown has been accompanied by a significant deployment of security forces. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), which coordinates between police, military, and intelligence agencies, said specialized units including K9 teams and the Air Wing have been deployed. Earlier figures from NATJOINTS indicated that more than 25,000 foreign nationals had been repatriated, but later counts surpassed 53,000.

Context and International Reaction

The protests and repatriations come amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment driven by accusations—often lacking evidence—that migrants contribute to high unemployment, crime, and strained public services. Activists claim that immigrants have taken jobs and resources. The UN has cautioned against using migrants as scapegoats, and several countries have organized voluntary repatriation flights and buses for their citizens, including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

South African police have said two Mozambican nationals, a Malawian, and an Ethiopian were killed in violence linked to the unrest. Additionally, Nigeria says two of its citizens were killed in anti-immigrant protests, though South African authorities have denied their deaths were linked to the protests.

The anti-migrant groups held a major protest on June 30, which they had set as an unofficial deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave. They have threatened to stage weekly protests to pressure the government until their demands are met. President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced new plans to strengthen border security and enforce immigration laws, acknowledging tensions over the issue.

Many of those leaving did not have passports or valid travel documents, and embassies from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique have been helping facilitate their return. The situation has also caused diplomatic tensions with some home countries, which criticized South Africa for what they call a climate of xenophobia.

Despite the scale of the exodus, some people are still seeking to enter South Africa. In Musina, on the border with Zimbabwe, hundreds of undocumented migrants are preparing to return home, while nearby, others brave crocodiles to cross the Limpopo River on wooden rafts before slipping away into the bush. Munyai Tungamirai, one of those on his way home, said he plans to return after getting proper documents: "So I want to do my paperwork, passport and permit to work and then come back to South Africa, to start life again."

Officials acknowledge that many could easily find their way back through informal crossing points. South Africa's Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, described the border as "shocking" after a visit, saying "there literally is no border in some places." Commissioner Masiapato called for continental engagement, saying "we believe that it is something that requires the entire continent to engage in it."