Johannesburg Protesters Seize Foreigners Door-to-Door as 38,000 Malawians Flee South Africa
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Jul 9
Johannesburg Protesters Seize Foreigners Door-to-Door as 38,000 Malawians Flee South Africa
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jul 9
Summary
Alexandra township protesters on Thursday broke down doors, pulled suspected undocumented migrants from homes and handed them to police vans, in a sharper phase of South Africa’s anti-immigrant protests.
Reuters saw a woman and small child from Malawi taken away, while a Zimbabwean man told reporters he was in the country legally under a Zimbabwean Exemption Permit.
Marches also took place in Soweto and Durban after organizers called for weekly Thursday actions, demanding tighter border controls, mass deportations and priority access to schools and health care for South Africans.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned citizens not to scapegoat immigrants or enforce immigration law themselves, even as police have increased arrests of undocumented migrants and deployed officers at marches.
Malawi said more than 38,000 of its citizens have returned from South Africa in recent weeks over safety fears, while over 60,000 Zimbabweans have also gone back.
With Zimbabwean permits valid until 2027, will escalating violence force a mass exodus before the legal deadline?
As 98,000 flee, will targeting migrants solve South Africa's unemployment crisis or simply create a new one?
Mass Exodus in South Africa: 25,000+ Foreign Nationals Repatriated During 2026 Anti-Immigrant Unrest
Overview
As of July 9, 2026, South Africa is experiencing a major crisis marked by the mass repatriation of over 25,000 foreign nationals, including large groups of Malawians, Ghanaians, and Nigerians. This exodus is driven by a climate of fear and uncertainty, as foreign nationals face ongoing threats to their safety. The situation is rooted in South Africa’s history of anti-migrant violence, with deadly riots in 2008 and repeated outbreaks in later years. Despite government efforts to maintain order, many migrants remain at risk, highlighting the persistent challenge of ensuring security for all residents.