South Africa anti‑immigrant violence forces repatriations

A new wave of anti-immigrant violence is spreading across South Africa, forcing hundreds of foreign nationals to flee their homes and prompting several neighboring countries to begin repatriating their citizens. The unrest, which has seen vigilante groups go door-to-door demanding undocumented migrants leave by the end of June, has resulted in multiple deaths and is straining South Africa's regional relations.

In the coastal town of Kleinmond, Mozambican national Lado Amido described how a crowd came to his door, told him to leave, and took his belongings. He fled and spent two nights in the mountains before finding shelter with about 100 other immigrants in a local town hall. Similar scenes have unfolded in several towns across the Western Cape province. Michael Markson, a Malawian national, said he hid in the woods after his landlord warned him that protesters would kill him if they found him. He reported seeing a large crowd in town, some armed with knives and sticks.

The violence turned deadly in the town of Mossel Bay over a recent weekend. Mozambican authorities stated that five of its citizens were killed as a direct consequence of xenophobic attacks. South African police...