More than 178,000 African migrants have left South Africa in recent months as authorities intensify a crackdown on undocumented migration and growing anti-immigrant protests raise fears of violence, according to figures from governments in the migrants’ home countries.
The scale of the departures makes the latest movement one of the most significant migrant exoduses from South Africa, one of Africa’s largest and most economically developed countries, in recent years.
The figures include people who have been deported by South African authorities as well as migrants who have voluntarily returned through repatriation programmes organised by South Africa or their home governments. The voluntary returns account for the vast majority of those who have left.
Zimbabwe has recorded the largest number of returning nationals, with more than 115,000 people returning from South Africa since late May, according to Zimbabwean authorities. Malawi has reported more than 56,000 citizens returning during the same period.
Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Lesotho have each also reported more than 1,000 nationals returning from South Africa.
South African authorities said this week that approximately 19,000 people had been officially deported since April, highlighting the government’s intensified efforts to remove migrants who do not have the required documentation to remain in the country.
The departures have occurred against a backdrop of increasingly vocal opposition to undocumented migration in South Africa. Anti-immigrant groups have organised protests and campaigns accusing foreign nationals of taking jobs from South Africans, contributing to unemployment and placing additional pressure on public services.
The issue reached a national level on June 30, when groups organised demonstrations across the country and declared what they described as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.
South Africa has long been a major destination for migrants from other African countries. Its relatively large economy and demand for workers have attracted millions of people over several decades, particularly to sectors such as agriculture, construction, hospitality, domestic work and other low-paid occupations.
However, economic hardship and extremely high unemployment have intensified public frustration over immigration. Protest groups have argued that undocumented migrants are competing with South Africans for scarce employment opportunities and are placing additional pressure on housing, healthcare, education and other public services.
South Africa’s 2022 census recorded approximately 2.4 million foreign nationals in a population of about 62 million. Anti-immigrant groups, however, have claimed that the actual number of migrants living in the country without legal documentation is considerably higher.
The crackdown has also been accompanied by reports of intimidation and violence against migrants. Rights organisations have raised concerns about door-to-door campaigns in which groups have allegedly threatened migrants and attacked or burned homes and businesses.
Some of those targeted were reportedly legally resident in South Africa.
The violence has created tensions between South Africa and several other African countries, with governments accusing Pretoria of failing to adequately protect their citizens and expressing concern over what they describe as growing xenophobia.
Mozambique’s government has said 11 Mozambican nationals were killed in attacks in South Africa. Nigeria and Ghana have also reported that some of their citizens were killed.
South African authorities have disputed some of the claims, saying that certain deaths attributed to anti-migrant violence were instead linked to criminal activity, including robberies. Police investigations into some of the deaths remain ongoing.
The allegations have nevertheless generated an unusual level of diplomatic tension between South Africa and other African nations.
Ghana has sought to place concerns about alleged anti-migrant and xenophobic attacks in South Africa on the agenda of an African Union meeting scheduled for October. South Africa opposed the proposal but called for broader discussions about migration across the continent.
The current exodus is also having a significant impact on children and families. United Nations agencies have warned that children caught up in sudden and poorly coordinated returns could face increased risks of violence, exploitation, family separation and psychological distress.
UNICEF and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child have expressed deep concern about the situation, particularly where children are being moved across borders without adequate preparation or documentation.
Malawi has reported that nearly 4,000 children under the age of five were among those returning from South Africa. In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Coordinating Committee, a non-governmental organisation, estimated that more than 11,000 children had returned to the country by the middle of July.
The large number of returning children is placing additional pressure on communities and public institutions in countries receiving them. Zimbabwean authorities have instructed schools not to discriminate against returning children and have urged institutions to find places for them.
Health organisations have also warned about the consequences of sudden migration and deportation for people living with chronic illnesses.
Some migrants reportedly left South Africa without their medications or medical records, raising concerns that patients could experience interruptions in treatment, including HIV medication.
The issue is particularly serious in southern Africa, where HIV remains a major public health concern.
Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has established temporary clinic facilities at Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border crossing to provide medical assistance to migrants arriving from South Africa. The organisation said some of those arriving had been traumatised and had lost access to essential HIV and other chronic medications.
The humanitarian concerns have added pressure on governments and aid organisations to ensure that migration enforcement does not leave vulnerable people without access to healthcare, education or protection.
Despite the concerns, South Africa’s immigration enforcement campaign is expected to continue.
Authorities have said approximately 3,000 people are currently awaiting deportation at a migrant detention centre near Johannesburg. The government has also deployed about 6,300 inspectors across the country to investigate workplaces suspected of employing migrants who do not have the necessary documentation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned violence against migrants and said attacks against foreign nationals cannot be justified. At the same time, he has acknowledged government shortcomings in enforcing immigration regulations.
Ramaphosa has promised to strengthen immigration enforcement by increasing the use of technology and personnel at the country’s borders, establishing new immigration courts to accelerate deportation cases and introducing tougher penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented migrants.
The developments highlight the complex nature of migration within Africa, where people frequently move across borders in search of employment and economic opportunities.
While global attention often focuses on migration from Africa toward Europe, particularly amid recent migration pressures along the Mediterranean and Spain’s borders, the movement of people between African countries remains significantly larger and can generate equally serious political, social and humanitarian tensions.
For many migrants who have lived and worked in South Africa for years, the current departures represent more than a change of location. Families are being separated, children are being moved between education systems and people receiving essential medical treatment are facing uncertainty over continued access to care.
The scale of the returns also raises broader questions about how African countries can manage migration while addressing unemployment, public-service pressures, border security and the protection of migrants’ rights.
As South Africa increases deportations and workplace inspections, and neighbouring countries prepare to receive tens of thousands of returning citizens, the consequences of the crackdown are likely to continue extending beyond South Africa’s borders.