South Africa's Department of Home Affairs announced on Thursday that it is withdrawing a recently issued directive that would have suspended the intake of asylum applications from undocumented migrants, after violent anti‑immigrant protests erupted in several major cities. The decision comes amid reports of looted foreign-owned shops, torched vehicles and clashes that left police forces on high alert. The reversal has been framed as a response to both administrative overload in refugee processing centres and the destabilising effect of the riots.
Background to the directive
Earlier this month, Home Affairs issued a directive intended to temporarily pause the registration of asylum seekers who had entered the country without documentation. According to EWN, the move was justified by a surge in applications that had overwhelmed the department's capacity to process claims effectively. The policy was set to be implemented nationwide, affecting all points of entry and refugee reception offices.
Violent protests and backlash
Within days of the announcement, anti‑migrant sentiment boiled over into violent protests across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Demonstrators targeted businesses owned by foreign nationals, resulting in the looting of shops and the torching of at least 24 vehicles, as reported by Business Insider Africa. Media outlets including BBC and DW.com described the unrest as "anti‑immigrant" and "xenophobic" in nature. Reuters added that authorities blamed a wave of disinformation for inflaming tensions, noting that several social‑media posts falsely claimed the directive would expel refugees.
"Twenty‑four vehicles were torched and foreign shops looted across major cities," the report by Business Insider Africa stated, underscoring the scale of the unrest.
Government response and next steps
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and the department’s Director‑General, Ngcukana Schreiber, defended the reversal. In statements covered by the Mail & Guardian, Schreiber said the directive had been withdrawn because it risked further destabilising an already fragile social climate and because the asylum system was "overwhelmed". President Cyril Ramaphosa also called for calm, urging citizens to refrain from "any act of violence" and promising a review of immigration policy.
Legal experts quoted by allAfrica.com warned that halting asylum applications could contravene South Africa's obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which the country is a signatory. Meanwhile, advocacy groups such as the Legal Resources Centre have called for a transparent audit of the asylum processing backlog and for measures that protect vulnerable migrants from mob violence.
Officials say the department will now focus on clearing the existing backlog while maintaining open channels for new asylum claims. The reversal is expected to be temporary, with Home Affairs planning to issue new guidelines once the security situation stabilises. Observers note that the episode highlights deep‑seated tensions over immigration in a country that has long grappled with xenophobic outbreaks, most notably in 2008 and 2015.
International human‑rights organisations have urged South Africa to address the root causes of anti‑immigrant sentiment, including economic disparities and misinformation, to prevent a recurrence of the violence. The government's next steps will likely be closely watched both domestically and abroad, as they will test South Africa's capacity to balance border security, humanitarian obligations, and social cohesion.
