South Africa’s new migration campaign has pulled out over 53,000 foreign nationals in five weeks, mostly from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The drive followed weeks of violent anti‑immigration protests, with demonstrators accusing migrants of driving up unemployment, crime and public service overload.
The government said it is carrying out "one of its biggest crackdowns on undocumented migrants in years", while the UN urges the country not to turn migrants into scapegoats for broader social problems.
Anti‑migrant activists set an unofficial June 30 deadline for all undocumented migrants to leave, a move that has already prompted thousands to flee the country to avoid intimidation.
Officials say deportation and repatriation also help identify those wanted by police for alleged crimes. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned attacks on migrants and warned citizens against taking the law into their own hands.
With a focus on order and dignity, the campaign’s aim is to enforce immigration laws while protecting human rights, though the social media backlash remains fierce, spreading trending hashtags and real‑time updates of chaos.
