Protests against migrants turned violent in parts of South Africa on Thursday, with several vehicles set ablaze and foreign-owned businesses attacked following renewed tensions over the government’s handling of asylum applications.
The clashes occurred in Soweto, Johannesburg, and the coastal city of Durban, according to police and an AFP reporter, amid demonstrations by movements demanding the removal of undocumented foreign nationals.
The unrest followed a court ruling directing the government to resume processing certain asylum applications, reigniting tensions in a country that has witnessed repeated anti-immigrant protests in recent months.
In Durban, violence broke out after allegations that a foreign national had assaulted a South African demonstrator, police said.
At least 14 vehicles were reportedly set on fire, while three foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the incident.
An AFP reporter also witnessed a business operated by a foreign national being burned down and other properties looted. Some migrants reportedly sought protection as security personnel were deployed to the area.
In Soweto, at least nine vehicles were set ablaze during clashes between South African nationals and foreign nationals, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department said.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla confirmed the incidents in an interview with SABC television but said no injuries had been reported at the time.
“It’s reported that there were clashes between foreign nationals in the area and South African nationals,” Fihla said.
“At the present moment, I can confirm that no injuries have been reported.”
The latest violence followed a court judgment declaring certain provisions of South Africa’s refugee legislation unconstitutional because they restricted access to the asylum system on procedural grounds.
The affected provisions prevented some individuals from applying for asylum in certain circumstances, including when they had entered the country irregularly.
The ruling prompted hundreds of people to visit government refugee centres in recent days to seek access to the asylum process. Reports indicated that some applicants might not qualify for refugee status.
The South African government sought to clarify the implications of the judgment on Wednesday, stressing that it did not automatically confer refugee status or permanent residence on anyone entering the country.
The government said the ruling should not be interpreted as granting automatic immigration rights to foreign nationals.
The latest clashes come after weeks of demonstrations by populist, anti-immigrant groups demanding that undocumented migrants leave South Africa by June 30.
The protests earlier this year reportedly forced tens of thousands of foreign nationals from other African countries to flee the country, with some returning home through repatriation programmes organised by their governments.
South Africa has experienced recurring outbreaks of xenophobic violence, often fuelled by grievances over unemployment, crime, competition for jobs and pressure on public services.
The renewed unrest underscores the challenges facing authorities as they seek to enforce immigration laws, comply with judicial rulings on asylum rights and prevent further attacks on foreign nationals and their businesses.
