South Africa Protests Drive 160,000 Illegal Immigrants Out as Ramaphosa Vows Crackdown
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
South Africa Protests Drive 160,000 Illegal Immigrants Out as Ramaphosa Vows Crackdown
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
Summary
More than 160,000 undocumented immigrants have fled South Africa after thousands joined nationwide anti-immigrant protests, with some leaving by bus and others on repatriation flights arranged by home countries.
Public anger has centered on weak border controls, crime, jobs and strained public services; South Africa’s official unemployment rate is 32.7%, and activists say undocumented workers undercut wages and crowd hospitals and schools.
The government says 53,449 foreign nationals had been processed for deportation or repatriation by July 11, far below activist estimates of 15 million to 30 million illegal immigrants and even below Statistics SA’s figure of up to 3 million immigrants.
The marches have been mostly peaceful but sometimes violent: Reuters earlier reported 900 arrests in one day of protests, one death near Johannesburg, and at least five immigrants killed by protesters this year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised a tougher response ahead of local elections, as immigration has become South Africa’s second-ranked public concern after unemployment.