Malawian migrants in South Africa prepare for repatriation

Hundreds of Malawian migrants in Durban are preparing for repatriation as a wave of intimidation and violence against foreign nationals spreads across South Africa. The Malawian government is organizing transport for its citizens, many of whom have been forced from their homes and are now sheltering in open spaces, fearing a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country.

In Durban, over a thousand Malawian nationals have been camping outside Sherwood Hall in Sydenham since Sunday, after fleeing attacks in informal settlements. Adam Ali, an official from the Malawian Embassy in Durban, described a desperate situation, with people, including women and children, sleeping outside for days with inadequate sanitation. He stated the embassy is urgently trying to organize buses, noting that some individuals were attacked, with one man stabbed while returning from work. Local authorities have provided tents and toilets for the temporary camp.

This follows the start of a formal repatriation operation from another region. The first group of 150 Malawian nationals, who had been displaced by unrest in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape in late May, departed South Africa by bus...