Malawians Return Home As Xenophobia Fears Grow In South Africa

A group of 150 Malawians repatriated from South Africa amid rising concerns over xenophobic violence is expected to arrive home by road on Monday, Malawian authorities have announced.

The move follows reports of intimidation and violence in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, including door-to-door harassment targeting foreign nationals and the deaths of two Mozambican migrants in Mossel Bay.

According to a statement from the Malawian government, the returning citizens were among several foreign nationals who had sought shelter in temporary camps in Mossel Bay after tensions escalated.

Malawi is not the only country responding to the situation. Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe have also organized transport and repatriation efforts for their citizens amid growing concerns about anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa.

Anti-migrant groups have been calling for undocumented foreigners to leave the country and have reportedly set June 30 as a deadline.

In an effort to calm tensions, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday, announcing new measures to tackle illegal immigration. However, he also warned citizens against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that there was no place for xenophobia, racism, Afrophobia, sexism, or other forms of intolerance in South Africa.

On Sunday, 74 Zimbabweans returned home after being transported from Mossel Bay by Zimbabwean authorities. Some families said they fled the area because they feared for their safety.

Last month, Ghana organized a repatriation flight from Johannesburg for nearly 300 of its citizens, while another group of around 680 Ghanaians arrived in Accra over the weekend.

Diplomatic tensions have also emerged over the situation. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola accused Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of spreading misinformation regarding xenophobic violence.

Lamola rejected claims that several foreign nationals had been killed in separate attacks and said the government had no information supporting reports that Ghanaians were being treated in South African hospitals after alleged assaults.

Ablakwa had previously called for the African Union to investigate reports of attacks on foreign nationals and urged compensation for Ghanaians who left property behind when they returned home.

As part of the government’s immigration crackdown, Ramaphosa announced plans to accelerate the deportation of undocumented migrants. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza said South Africa is also considering asking receiving countries to help cover deportation costs.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has postponed an evacuation flight for 270 citizens that had been scheduled to depart on Monday. Officials said the flight was delayed until Wednesday due to logistical reasons.

More than 500 Nigerians have already been screened and approved for repatriation, while President Bola Tinubu has authorized a total of five evacuation flights as authorities continue processing affected citizens.

The developments highlight growing regional concern over the safety of migrants in South Africa as governments move to protect their citizens amid rising anti-immigrant tensions.