Police Fire on Migrants at South Africa Deportation Site as Tensions Escalate

Police fired rubber bullets and used stun grenades against migrants protesting Wednesday near a community hall in Durban, South Africa, where thousands are being processed for deportation. The clashes erupted as tensions over immigration surge in Africa's richest country, following a series of anti-migrant marches and reports of attacks on foreign nationals.

The migrants gathered near the hall in the eastern city of Durban are mainly Malawians who initially arrived more than a week ago for voluntary repatriation to their home country on buses provided by their government. However, delays in the repatriation process prompted South African authorities to establish an immigration court at the site and implement formal deportation procedures. The premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province reported that nearly 10,000 Malawians have been camping in a nearby park awaiting transport home. Video footage showed groups of protesters throwing rocks, sticks and logs at police, with officers responding with stun grenades and rubber bullets.

Local media attributed the clashes to frustration over delays in the repatriation process. The Home Affairs Ministry identified at least 1,876 people among those gathered as being in South Africa without proper documents and subject to deportation. The mayor of Durban indicated that more than 6,000 Malawians could ultimately be deported. At least five African countries—Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe—have arranged flights or buses to repatriate their citizens from South Africa.

South Africa's government has condemned the recent spate of attacks on foreigners driven by rising anti-migrant sentiment. The country, the continent's most developed economy, is conducting a broad crackdown on illegal immigration. In the past two years, South Africa deported more than 100,000 people living in the country illegally, while over 500,000 others were returned to their countries of origin after being stopped at borders attempting to enter illegally.