The tense situation near the Ministry of Internal Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Durban has reached a deadlock after the national government confirmed that it will not implement a separate reintegration program for the group of displaced refugees who have been in the nearby camp since mid-May.
Refugees claim they attempted to return to their former communities but were forced back onto the streets. Bishop among the refugees, Raphael Bahceбва, reported that they were advised to reintegrate, but 186 people remained outside the centre as they have no other place to live. Bahceбва noted: 'Our people are afraid to return.'
Yeselen Govender, a representative of the Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign, stated that local communities are not ready to accept the refugees. She emphasized that the refugees themselves have not undergone psychosocial counseling to overcome the trauma experienced over the past year, casting doubt on the possibility of reintegration under such conditions. Govender also pointed out that government officials offering options are aware of the unrealistic nature of these options.
Deputy Government Press Secretary William Baloyi stated that the Department of Internal Affairs previously checked the status of refugees and asylum seekers living outside the Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Street and confirmed their legal stay in the Republic according to the Refugee Act. Baloyi clarified that the government constantly urged these people to return to their former residences, but they refused. Furthermore, they rejected the offer to stay at the Lindela Repatriation Centre, which is the only Department of Internal Affairs facility with the necessary infrastructure for temporary safe accommodation.
Baloyi added that the Interdepartmental Migration Committee is not developing a separate reintegration program for individuals who voluntarily rejected the options available from the government. He also noted that the occupation of public spaces and sidewalks falls under the jurisdiction of the eThekwini municipality, which is responsible for enforcing its bylaws and taking action against individuals illegally occupying municipal property, provided such actions are lawful.
The Director of Marketing and Communications for the eThekwini municipality, Mandla Nsele, refuted claims that Mayor Cyril Shabha had committed to providing housing for people whose camps are near Che Guevara Street. Nsele categorically stated that the mayor never made such promises, and any contrary statements are false and misleading. He reminded that in June, people who passed the Department of Internal Affairs check and whose documentation was in order were offered two options: reintegration into their home communities or referral to the Lindela Repatriation Centre. The city's position remains unchanged and is guided by applicable legislative and political frameworks.
According to the organization Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), the accelerated processing of thousands of displaced migrants through the Musina temporary repatriation processing center and the Beitbridge border post in South Africa has not ended the humanitarian crisis.
KAAX stated that events following the alleged illegal 'deadline' of June 30, promoted by anti-immigrant groups, have triggered a public health emergency. People were forced to leave their homes due to threats or violence.
Nevertheless, the government defends its migration management strategy, asserting that it aims to create an orderly immigration system while simultaneously protecting the rights and dignity of all South African residents.
The Minister of Justice and Chairperson of the Interdepartmental Committee (IMC), Mmamoloko Kubayi, provided media with information on the implementation of President Cyril Ramaphosa's five-point migration management plan, first announced on June 7. This strategy includes ensuring compliance with immigration laws, securing South Africa's borders, optimizing the immigration system, addressing policy gaps, and strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries.
Kubayi emphasized that the government's approach seeks to balance public concerns about migration with constitutional obligations. She stated: 'In implementing this plan, we strive to achieve orderly and regular migration that takes into account and is sensitive to the issues raised by our people, while upholding human rights and the dignity of all people in our country, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status.'
KAAX countered that the effectiveness of the government's response should be judged not by the speed of processing or removal of people, but by whether their constitutional rights, dignity, and access to healthcare are protected throughout the entire process. The organization noted that many people who passed through Musina were legally documented migrants who had lived in South Africa for years, and their deportation will not solve the broader problems of the crisis.
KAAX insisted that the state is responsible for providing displaced persons with adequate housing, food, water, sanitation, and uninterrupted medical care. The organization also pointed to risks associated with processing centers, recalling the cholera outbreak in Musina in 2008, and noted that interrupting critical treatment, including antiretroviral therapy (ART) and tuberculosis treatment, has long-term consequences.
Pastor and activist Nigel Branken said that the situation has gone beyond simple migration management and raised serious concerns regarding the treatment of vulnerable communities. He expressed the view that the actions of volunteer groups, combined with alleged failures to prevent intimidation and forced displacement, require urgent attention.
Branken compared what was happening to an ethnic cleansing campaign conducted by volunteer groups, while the state risks becoming complicit by failing to stop illegal raids, intimidation, and forced displacement in an atmosphere of xenophobic hostility.
According to data presented at the IMC briefing, as of July 11, 53,449 foreign nationals had been processed for deportation or repatriation, about 80% of whom were from Malawi. The government also reported that over 20,000 people had passed through the Musina center, with up to 4,850 moved in a single day.
Kubayi stated that illegal actions by citizens targeting suspected undocumented migrants will not be tolerated. She warned that reports of searches of homes and businesses allegedly containing undocumented migrants are concerning, and reminded that such actions are illegal.
KAAX warned that the threat to migrants has not disappeared, as fear and instability continue to affect access to medical care. Branken also noted that the government's response to alleged intimidation and forced removals called into question accountability, labeling the state's reaction to reports of police inaction as a 'refusal' rather than 'restraint.'
For over a month, dozens of refugees, including women with infants and small children wrapped in thin blankets, are reportedly forced to sleep on the pavement in front of the Department of Internal Affairs offices on Che Guevara Street. They are enduring harsh winter nights after fleeing alleged xenophobic violence.
Since they had nowhere else to turn, families report that they have exchanged one danger for another, huddling together in the cold while awaiting assistance and hoping their pleas for protection will be heard.
Deborah Young of the South African Palestinian Movement noted that the humanitarian crisis is worsening daily as more displaced persons arrive in the area. She stated: 'The situation is very precarious – more people fleeing attacks in townships and suburbs have arrived in recent days.'
Furthermore, maintaining the camp has become more difficult after municipal support was allegedly withdrawn. Refugees near the Department of Internal Affairs office on Che Guevara Street told IOL that they fear a march scheduled for Thursday.
One refugee reported: 'The municipality [allegedly] stopped delivering water, and we rely on donations entirely. The municipality wants them to leave but does not help with housing. There is [allegedly] another march planned for Thursday.'
March and Rally leader Jacinta Ngobeze-Zuma said she had not heard about the planned march but promised to find out more details.
Refugee leader Bishop Raphael Bahbeba noted that the June 30th march in the central business district was successful, but he stated that xenophobia has increased in townships and rural areas. He added: 'People are being evicted, [allegedly] beaten, and tortured in rural areas. We do not understand the scenario, and it has changed our perspective here.'
