Foreign refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa are bracing for potential violence as a September 30 deadline declared by an anti-immigration group approaches. Prominent community leaders, including Bishop Raphael Bahebwa—a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who has lived in Durban for 26 years—have gone into hiding following threats. The group, known as March and March, has demanded that undocumented migrants leave the country, but refugees report that street hostility rarely distinguishes between those with legal status and those without.
The heightened friction comes ahead of local government elections scheduled for November 4, where immigration has emerged as a central political debate. For roughly four months, hundreds of refugees from countries such as the DRC, Burundi, Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania slept on the pavement outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre seeking safety. Tensions escalated on September 3 when members of March and March confronted camp residents, resulting in violent clashes that left at least four people injured before police intervened.
In mid-September, authorities moved to clear the makeshift encampment outside the centre, offering residents a choice to return to local communities or relocate to the Lindela immigration detention facility in Gauteng. While 274 people accepted transport to Lindela, around 150 remained in Durban to seek alternative housing, fearful of returning to neighbourhoods where they previously built their livelihoods. Community representative Kafuti Muyumba expressed deep anxiety over potential escalation, citing memories of widespread xenophobic violence in 2008 and 2015.
Leaders of March and March reject accusations of xenophobia, insisting their demonstrations target undocumented migration, crime, and deteriorating local conditions rather than foreign nationals in general. However, many refugees feel unprotected, alleging that local police have dismissed past complaints of assault. South African police stated that standard law enforcement procedures will remain in place surrounding the September 30 deadline and that all protesters will be expected to remain within the law.