JOHANNESBURG – Escalating tensions over undocumented migration in South Africa have pushed authorities to launch construction of a second temporary deportation center, a response to dangerous overcrowding at an existing processing facility where thousands of Malawian nationals have waited for weeks to return home.
The development comes months after widespread anti-illegal immigration protests across Johannesburg and other major South African cities, where demonstrators demonstrated against the presence of foreign nationals, stoking deep friction between local communities and migrants. Thousands of Malawian citizens have since fled their places of residence in South Africa, citing fears of anti-migrant violence, and converged on the first deportation camp located in Durban’s Sherwood neighborhood. As of this week, an estimated 10,000 people have been camped at the site for more than seven days, with new arrivals swelling the population daily.
Frustrations over lengthy processing delays boiled over this week, when protesting migrants at the Sherwood site clashed with police on Wednesday. Migrants threw rocks, sticks and logs at officers, who responded by firing rubber bullets and deploying stun grenades to disperse the crowd. The overcrowded conditions have already created a humanitarian emergency: according to South African officials, at least 12 women have given birth at the site since migrants began gathering there, with women and young children forced to share cramped, unsanitary space alongside thousands of men.
Durban Mayor Cyril Xaba confirmed Thursday that the new facility is designed to act as an overflow camp to alleviate pressure on the overstretched Sherwood site. The center will operate strictly as a 14-day temporary measure, Xaba emphasized, and will not be converted into a permanent refugee or migrant settlement.
The repatriation process has been slowed by multiple administrative and logistical hurdles. All undocumented Malawians must first appear in South African courts to confirm their irregular status before deportation can proceed. Additionally, the Malawian government has only provided a limited number of buses to transport returnees, and has issued a public appeal for donations to cover the cost of additional transport. As of Thursday, just 10 buses carrying deportees have departed Durban for Malawi since processing began.
South Africa’s Home Affairs spokesperson Cyril Mncwabe confirmed that all migrants gathered at the camp are undocumented and residing in the country illegally. The 60 immigration officials assigned to process the crowd will need several more weeks to complete screenings for all people at the site, Mncwabe added. Police officers are currently conducting background checks to flag any migrants with pending criminal cases before deportation.
In an update Thursday, the Malawian government reported that 560 of its citizens returned home Wednesday aboard eight buses, with another 10 buses scheduled to carry 700 additional returnees Thursday. Malawi is the third African nation in recent weeks to organize large-scale repatriation of its citizens from South Africa, amid rising anti-migrant sentiment across the country. Ghana previously arranged a flight to repatriate roughly 300 of its undocumented citizens, and all deportees are banned from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years following their return.
Associated Press video journalist Alfonso Nqunjana contributed on-site reporting from Durban, South Africa.