More than 160,000 migrants are leaving South Africa as anti-foreigner violence escalates

More than 160,000 foreign nationals have left South Africa in the past two months amid escalating anti-migrant protests and violence targeting undocumented immigrants, according to figures compiled from governments coordinating the repatriation of their citizens.

The exodus comes after weeks of demonstrations in several regions of the country, with some protests turning deadly when anti-immigration groups intensified calls for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa on June 30.

Citizens from several African countries reportedly rushed to embassies, consulates and community centers to seek help to return home, with many fleeing with only essential items out of fear for their safety.

Zimbabwe recorded the highest number of returnees, followed by Malawi, while citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda and Lesotho were also among those evacuated or repatriated themselves.

Zimbabwe’s cabinet announced on Tuesday that 108,366 of its citizens had returned to their homes as of July 18, with the majority making their own travel arrangements.

Malawi also reported that more than 46,890 of its citizens had returned since early June. The government said it was deploying 699 buses to transport people returning from South Africa, although six people reportedly died on the journey.

South African authorities also confirmed that nearly 2,000 Mozambicans had returned to their country.

Mozambicans’ movement intensified after two of their citizens were killed in late May in violence that erupted following protests in the southern city of Mossel Bay.

The incident marks the first confirmed death linked to the latest wave of anti-migrant unrest.

Authorities later acknowledged the deaths of an Ethiopian and a Malawian national, and linked the incident to rising “anti-foreign sentiment.”

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Nigeria has also reported the deaths of two of its citizens, and the Defense Minister dismissed rumors of resignation, and threatened legal action after meeting with Tinubu who explained that the incident occurred during “ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks on migrants”.

Likewise, the Ghanaian government said one of its citizens was killed in the city of Cape Town during “anti-immigrant demonstrations linked to ongoing xenophobic attacks.”

But authorities in South Africa rejected the allegations made by Nigeria and Ghana, saying false narratives were being spread online and warning against the spread of misinformation.

Official figures show that Nigeria has so far repatriated around 1,490 of its citizens, while Ghana has evacuated at least 926 of its citizens from South Africa.

The two countries also called for the issue of “Afrophobia” to be included on the agenda of the next African Union Summit.

Ghana has also postponed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s planned state visit.

South Africa, Africa’s most advanced economy, has long attracted migrants from across the continent in search of better economic opportunities, both through legal and undocumented channels.

However, rising unemployment, poverty and pressure on public services have fueled resentment in some communities, with vigilante groups accusing foreigners of increasing crime and taking jobs from local residents.

But analysts argue that migrants are unfairly blamed for wider structural problems, including unemployment exceeding 30 percent, weak governance and poor provision of public services.

The current unrest began last year with isolated demonstrations aimed at preventing undocumented migrants from accessing public health facilities before escalating significantly in the weeks leading up to a June 30 deadline issued by anti-migrant activists.

The anti-immigration group March and March vowed to continue organizing weekly protests until South Africa’s local government elections scheduled for November.

Although South Africa has experienced repeated xenophobic violence over the years—including deadly riots in 2008 that claimed 62 lives, as well as repeated attacks in 2015, 2016, and 2019—this latest crisis marks the first time that several African governments have simultaneously undertaken coordinated voluntary repatriation efforts for tens of thousands of their citizens who have fled the country.