As South Africa Prepares for an Anti-Immigrant Deadline, Many Depart

The unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa is just one day away, and thousands of Malawians are still stuck in temporary camps in the hopes of making it back home safely.

The deadline, which was pushed by anti-immigrant organizations, comes after weeks of demonstrations, threats, and acts of violence directed against foreigners. Many migrants are afraid for their life after at least three people two Mozambicans and one Malawian were slain.

According to one verified migrant, he made the decision to depart as neighbors repeatedly threatened to kill refugees when the time came. “That’s why today I decided to join our brothers and go home,” he replied.

Others have had to make difficult personal sacrifices in order to leave. Another immigrant claimed that after his Zulu wife informed him that she could no longer provide for them alone, he was compelled to leave his kids with her.

A number of African nations, notably Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have organized voluntary repatriation operations in response to the mounting security concerns; thousands of people have already returned home.

Ahead of scheduled anti-immigrant marches, South African authorities have denounced the violence and promised increased security, threatening to prosecute anyone who tries to encourage violence or enforce the law on their own.

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