Violence broke out during demonstrations demanding that refugee centres stop processing asylum applications. Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said 10 vehicles were torched in Johannesburg and 14 in Durban, where three people were arrested. In Soweto, residents chased away a shop owner they believed was Somali, and in Durban, foreign-owned shops were looted. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters who set fire to a business run by foreigners.
The Constitutional Court in July removed procedural barriers to seeking asylum, including for those who entered South Africa irregularly or missed reporting deadlines. The government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration said asylum offices are overwhelmed by applications since the ruling.
Government spokesperson William Baloyi said the court decision had been misrepresented and did not grant automatic refugee status or permanent residence. “We are deeply concerned by what is going on now,” he added.
Months of protests by anti-immigrant groups have led tens of thousands of migrants to flee, with some repatriated by their governments. South Africa, dealing with high unemployment and deep inequality, sees migrants often blamed for taking jobs, though officials say such claims lack evidence.