More than 53,000 immigrants have been deported or repatriated by South Africa in a crackdown

By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/more-than-53000-immigrants-have-been-deported-or-repatriated-by-south-africa-in-a-crackdown Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More than 53,000 immigrants have been deported or repatriated by South Africa in a crackdown World Jul 13, 2026 6:20 PM EDT JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa has deported or repatriated more than 53,000 African immigrants in the space of a month in a crackdown by authorities that has coincided with a series of sometimes violent protests against illegal migration. More than 80% of the immigrants sent home were from Malawi, South African Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said Sunday. Officials did not give a breakdown of how many were deported and how many took up offers of voluntary repatriation. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Several African countries have provided planes and buses to bring their citizens home during a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa in recent months that has sparked some attacks against foreigners and left parts of the country on edge. Police said they have arrested 350 people in connection with public violence, intimidation and unauthorized immigration checks — a trend where groups of South African civilians attempt to force migrants to show documents to prove they are in the country legally. The deaths of at least three migrants — two from Mozambique and one from Malawi — are being investigated by South African police. Nigeria has said two of its citizens were killed in anti-immigrant protests in South Africa, though South African authorities have denied their deaths were linked to the protests. Immigrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique made up the majority of the migrants deported or repatriated, but they also included citizens of Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya, South African officials said. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new plans last month to strengthen border security and enforce immigration laws in Africa's most developed economy, and acknowledged rising tensions over the issue. That came in response to growing protests by anti-migrant groups claiming, without evidence, that immigrants were contributing to South Africa's high unemployment rate and problems with crime. Ramaphosa warned South Africans against taking the law into their own hands following reports of some vigilante attacks against migrants. The anti-migrant groups held their latest major protest on June 30, which they said was the deadline for undocumented immigrants in South Africa to leave. The government rejected the deadline. But it still prompted thousands of Malawians to gather at a temporary immigration site in the eastern city of Durban seeking repatriation. South African officials said some were repatriated voluntarily, but many were officially depor