Several people were injured Thursday when an anti migrant demonstration in Durban descended into violence as protesters confronted refugees and asylum seekers living in a makeshift camp outside a government refugee office.
About 100 members of the anti migrant group March and March took part in what they described as a “clean up campaign” targeting an encampment of several hundred foreign nationals on Che Guevara Road. Police intervened after stones were thrown and tensions escalated between the protesters and migrants.
A police officer was struck by a stone during the confrontation, according to KwaZulu Natal police spokesperson Col. Robert Netshiunda. Police arrested one foreign national in connection with the incident and said investigations were continuing.
A community representative told AFP that five Congolese nationals, including two children, were injured. Local reporting said several others were hurt during the confrontation, including refugees who sustained head injuries.
Police used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds after attempts to separate the opposing groups failed. Paramedics treated people at the scene, while at least four refugees were taken to hospital, according to GroundUp.
The refugees, many of them from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, have been living outside the Department of Home Affairs refugee office for more than three months. Local reports said the group includes documented refugees and asylum seekers who fled violence, evictions and intimidation.
The confrontation followed weeks of heightened anti migrant sentiment across South Africa. Campaigners have blamed undocumented migration for pressure on jobs and public services, while rights groups have warned against violence and collective punishment of foreign nationals.
Human Rights Watch has reported a new wave of xenophobic attacks against African and Asian foreign nationals in South Africa, raising concerns about the protection of migrants and the response of law enforcement authorities.
The latest unrest is centred in Durban, which has been an epicentre of anti migrant mobilisation. AFP reported that at least four foreign nationals have been killed in violence linked to the recent unrest, while more than 200,000 people have fled South Africa according to figures compiled from African governments involved in repatriating their citizens.
South African authorities have previously said they would intensify efforts to identify and deport undocumented migrants, while President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that individuals and groups must not take immigration enforcement into their own hands. He has also said illegal immigration does not account for all of the country’s economic difficulties.
The violence in Durban highlights the difficulty of addressing irregular migration while protecting the rights and safety of people with lawful refugee or asylum status. Continued clashes could deepen tensions within communities and complicate efforts by authorities to manage migration, public services and social stability.
Police said calm had been restored and warned that anyone found to have incited violence would face legal action.
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