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At least 24 vehicles were set on fire and foreign-owned shops were looted during anti-immigration protests that turned violent in two South African cities, police said, according to the BBC.
Clashes broke out on Thursday in Soweto, a township near Johannesburg, and Durban, a major port on the country’s east coast. Police said 14 vehicles were torched in Durban and 10 in Soweto.
The unrest followed growing anger over a court ruling requiring the government to remove barriers that had prevented some migrants from applying for asylum. Demonstrations turned violent after allegations that a foreign national had assaulted a protester in Durban. Three foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the alleged assault, police said.
Protests outside Durban refugee centre
In Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal province, protesters gathered outside a government refugee reception centre and called for it to stop accepting asylum applications. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, while businesses in the city centre closed their doors.
“There were clashes between foreign nationals in the area and South African nationals,” senior local police officer Xolani Fihla told the SABC. He said no injuries had been reported.
In Soweto’s Orlando West neighbourhood, residents had initially called for the closure of small convenience stores, known locally as spaza shops, operated by foreign nationals. Protesters forced some foreign traders to leave the area, while shops were attacked and a building was set on fire, local media reported. Gunshots were also reported during confrontations between residents and foreign shopkeepers.
Police said reinforcements had been deployed to prevent further violence. Acting national police commissioner Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane condemned the destruction of property, and authorities said those responsible would be pursued.
Court ruling fuels debate over asylum applications
South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled in July that restrictions preventing some people from seeking asylum because of how they entered the country or missed immigration deadlines were invalid. The decision means asylum seekers must be allowed to submit applications, including those who entered without the required documents.
The ruling has brought hundreds of people to refugee reception centres and angered anti-immigration campaigners, who fear it will encourage undocumented migration. Government spokesman William Baloyi told Reuters that false claims about the judgment had been deliberately spread, creating the impression that undocumented migrants would automatically receive legal status.
Baloyi said the ruling did not automatically grant refugee status or the right to remain permanently in South Africa. Officials say applications will be assessed individually and applicants will remain subject to immigration checks.
Earlier this year, anti-immigration groups held weeks of demonstrations demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country by 30 June. The protests led tens of thousands of migrants to flee, with some returning home through repatriation programmes organised by their governments.
South Africa has experienced xenophobic attacks for nearly two decades. More than 60 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced in widespread attacks on foreign nationals in 2008.
The latest unrest has unfolded amid widespread poverty, deep inequality and unemployment affecting roughly a third of the workforce. Migrants are often accused of taking jobs, contributing to crime and putting pressure on public services, although researchers say broad claims of this kind are not supported by evidence.
Despite its economic difficulties, South Africa remains one of the continent’s main destinations for people seeking employment, safety and better opportunities.
