South Africa anti-migrant protests: Thousands march, demanding illegal immigrants to leave

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]This is just one of several demonstrations in recent weeks targeting migrants in South Africa. Thousands of people in Durban, Pritoria, and now Johannesburg say they want more government action to tackle what they say is illegal immigration. Critics say groups like this are simply xenophobic.

[00:00:19]>> Anyone just wakes up in the morning and decides that they're having problems in their own country. Oh, let me look for greener pastures and it's South Africa.

[00:00:26]And if we don't say anything about it or if we say something about it, we're told that it's black people. This is not a skin color thing. It's about us protecting our country, which is a sovereign state. We love our African brothers and sisters, but it's time now that they also fix their own countries for their own children and their own future.

[00:00:44]>> We're making it very clear to you guys, we don't want you here.

[00:00:48]>> In this video widely shared on social media, a man from Ghana is told to go home to fix his country. Ghanaian high commissioners advised its nationals to close their businesses and keep a low profile while Nigerian authorities have told citizens to remain indoors.

[00:01:06]>> People assembled here blame foreigners for taking their jobs and high levels of crime in the capital Ptoria. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded action from the government. is a legitimate concern being hijacked and used to taint us as a people of South Africa who do not want to live with other people >> because that would not be correct cuz that's not who we are.

[00:01:30]>> South African President Sulram Porsa says the concerns should not lead to xenophobia. He says the government is clamping down on illegal migration and rooting out corruption in the immigration system. The United Nations has condemned the attacks. This is not the first time such protests are seen in South Africa. There were large outbreaks of violence against foreign nationals in 2008, 2015 and 2019. And the same sentiments are being repeated now.

[00:01:59]>> We are saying our borders must be properly managed. And all these people who are undocumented, they need to be sent back to their countries.

[00:02:06]>> Why do they have to come here and have free education, free healthcare and what is telling us that we are xenophobic?

[00:02:16]Tensions are rising as more protests are planned.