South Africa, June 30 2026 - Thousands of migrants across South Africa have stayed off the streets, abandoned their homes and workplaces, and sought safety as anti-immigrant protests swept across major cities on Tuesday, raising fears of renewed xenophobic violence.
Businesses remained closed, buses were largely off the roads and many neighbourhoods in Johannesburg and Durban appeared unusually quiet as demonstrators gathered to demand the removal of undocumented migrants.
The protests coincided with a self-imposed deadline issued by campaigners calling on undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa, prompting many migrants to flee before the marches began.
Authorities deployed thousands of police officers while the military remained on standby to prevent the demonstrations from turning violent.
Among those affected are migrants who say they have been forced from their homes despite holding legal documents.
"All these people were chased out by their landlords," Congolese community leader Mabako Majole told Reuters while standing beside about 100 displaced people sleeping outside a government office in Durban.
"All these people are legal. They have documents."
Many landlords in Durban and Johannesburg reportedly evicted foreign tenants over fears that their properties could be attacked by protesters.
The demonstrations have exposed growing tensions over immigration in South Africa, where many unemployed citizens accuse foreign nationals of taking jobs, increasing crime and placing pressure on public services. However, researchers say there is little evidence to support those claims.
Among the protesters in Durban was 31-year-old Silindile Xaba, who said economic hardship had fuelled public anger.
"People are not working, the jobs are being taken by illegal foreigners. It's not fair," she told Reuters.
The campaign behind the protests, March and March, insists it does not support violence, saying its focus is on pressuring the government to address illegal immigration.
"We are trying to channel that anger towards the government," organiser Jacinta Ngobese told Reuters in an earlier interview.
"Unfortunately, we can't be in every single community telling them how to behave."
President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed for calm, acknowledging public concerns over illegal immigration while warning against intimidation and violence.
"Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully," Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter.