Violent anti migrant protests erupt across South Africa over asylum ruling

Anti-migrant protests turned violent in South Africa on Thursday following a court ruling regarding asylum seekers, according to reports by Al Jazeera and DW. Demonstrations broke out in the coastal city of Durban and in Johannesburg's Soweto township. Vehicles were set on fire, foreign-run businesses were forced to close, and police reported that gunshots were heard. [2][3]

The unrest flared after demonstrators gathered outside refugee centres demanding an end to asylum processing, Al Jazeera, DW, and BBC News reported. DW reported that the violence was reignited by a court order requiring the South African government to resume processing asylum applications, while Al Jazeera noted that the government blamed the violence on disinformation regarding the ruling. [1][2][3]

In Durban, located in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds outside a government refugee reception centre, BBC News reported. Senior police officer Xolani Fihla stated that clashes occurred between foreign nationals and South Africans. BBC News also reported that police arrested three foreign nationals following an alleged assault on a protester. [1]

South Africa is the southernmost country in Africa and is made up of nine provinces. The nation faces structural economic challenges, including an official unemployment rate above 33 percent and persistent high levels of income inequality. [10][11]

The country has long experienced recurrent outbreaks of violence aimed at foreign nationals from neighbouring countries, BBC News reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, anti-immigrant activists in South Africa previously set a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country, leading many Zimbabwean migrants to return home following raids and threats. [1][12]