Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, a Congolese refugee who has lived in South Africa for 26 years, is currently in hiding after receiving threats for advocating on behalf of foreign nationals. His situation reflects broader anxieties among migrant communities as September 30 approaches, a date set by March and March, an anti-immigration group that has organized protests across the country this year. The group has called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa and warned of further demonstrations if its demands are not met. While the deadline specifically targets undocumented migrants, many refugees say the distinction offers little reassurance, given the hostility they regularly encounter.
Local elections are scheduled for November 4, during a political campaign in which migration has become an increasingly salient issue. For months, hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers slept outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road, many having fled violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania. They arrived seeking safety but instead endured months living on the pavement, relying on civil society groups for food and medical care. One man with tuberculosis died while staying at the camp, though Al Jazeera has not independently verified the circumstances of his death.
In early September, tensions escalated when members of March and March confronted refugees at the camp. Violence erupted, police intervened, and at least four people were injured. The group describes its campaign as targeting illegal immigration, crime, and deteriorating community conditions, and insists its focus is on documentation status rather than nationality. Nevertheless, refugees say both documented and undocumented individuals have faced intimidation. Earlier in the year, six Congolese workers at salons near Warwick Street Market were attacked with sticks; two were hospitalized. Refugees also reported difficulties in filing police reports after prior attacks, with some alleging officers refused to take statements due to their foreign status.
In mid-September, authorities moved to clear the camp outside the Department of Home Affairs office. Refugees were offered a choice between returning to their former neighborhoods or being relocated to Lindela, a detention facility in Gauteng used for immigration processing. Of those moved, approximately 274 were transported by bus to Lindela on September 15. Around 150 chose to remain in Durban, where they continue to search for stable housing. Many expressed reluctance to return to areas where they once built businesses and families, citing ongoing fears of violence.
Kafuti Muyumba, a Congolese small business owner and community representative, said the threat of renewed attacks is deeply unsettling. He noted that xenophobic violence has recurred in South Africa before, notably in 2008 and 2015, when dozens were killed and thousands displaced. For many, the current climate evokes those traumatic memories. Muyumba said police have not provided adequate protection and that some officers have reportedly told refugees they must leave, further eroding trust in state institutions.
The South African government has intensified immigration enforcement in recent months. Between June 14 and August 20, authorities processed 86,596 foreign nationals for deportation, according to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration. Data shows that 90 percent of those repatriated had entered the country outside official ports of entry, and 95 percent were classified as having done so illegally. Malawians constituted the largest group among those processed, followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans. The government maintains that these actions are part of broader efforts to strengthen border controls and enforce immigration law. It has also publicly urged private groups not to take enforcement into their own hands, noting that citizens cannot legally deport others.
Although the September 30 deadline lacks legal authority, it has amplified fear among vulnerable communities. A similar deadline in June passed without incident, but its psychological impact lingered. For refugees who endured months on the streets, the approaching date adds another layer of uncertainty. Some have been moved hundreds of kilometers from Durban; others remain in the city, trying to rebuild lives in neighborhoods they once fled. Across interviews, a common theme has emerged: the risk of violence often begins the moment someone is identified as foreign, regardless of legal status. Bahebwa, who has lived in South Africa for over two decades, said the current rhetoric feels like scapegoating and warned that the underlying tensions are unlikely to resolve after September 30, particularly with national elections on the horizon.
The situation remains unresolved, with refugees caught between state-led enforcement efforts and rising anti-foreigner sentiment. While the government insists on lawful procedures, many in migrant communities say they are left with few options and little recourse as they navigate an increasingly precarious environment.
