JOHANNESBURG: Over 160,000 illegal immigrants have fled South Africa after thousands of citizens took to the streets demanding foreigners leave, as hundreds of thousands of South Africans have followed many in the West in turning against the government for poor border controls, and perceived inaction.One South African organization claims there are up to 30 million illegal immigrants in a country whose documented citizens number around 63 million.These immigrants, mostly undocumented, are blamed for rampant crime, taking jobs and overrunning hospital wards and places in government schools.In some cases, groups have gone house-to-house in areas such as Soweto, near Johannesburg, giving deadlines for immigrants to go home.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that 900 people were arrested during a day of nationwide protests.While the protests were largely peaceful, police were called to disperse violent protesters in some areas of the country.
One death was reported in the Johannesburg area.NEW GERMANY SEX-CRIME FIGURES REIGNITE MIGRATION FIGHT AS EXPLOITATION PROBE EXPANDSProtesters from the March and March Movement hold banners and chant slogans during a demonstration in Pinetown, south of Durban, on July 16, 2026.(Rajesh Jantilal/AFP via Getty Images)Some illegal immigrants have taken buses and left, or been repatriated on flights provided by their home countries across Africa.
On one such flight to Ghana in June, the South African border authority said 321 of the 332 Ghanaians who tried to leave Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport were found to be in the country illegally.Up to five immigrants have been killed by protesters so far this year, but the most prominent anti-immigrant civic group in South Africa, the March and March movement, claims that it is against violence.It is their followers who march the country’s streets, often with large traditional sticks called knobkerries, ‘encouraging’ foreigners to leave.Their founder and leader, Ja...