For several months, hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers have been living on the pavement in front of the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Street in Durban. Their prolonged stay has become a flashpoint for growing tension in the city related to issues of migration, displacement, and immigration status checks.
Most people in this group arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Rwanda. The presence of the group near the Department of Home Affairs has become a focal point of debate regarding immigration, documentation, security, and the government's responsibility towards refugees and asylum seekers.
The situation began to escalate in May against the backdrop of rising anti-immigration sentiment in South Africa. Activists opposing illegal immigration started calling for foreigners to leave the country, with some setting a deadline of June 30th for illegally present citizens.
Among participants in such actions was activist Nkosisikhona 'Fakelmuntakati' Ndabandaba, who confronted foreigners in Durban and demanded they leave the country. His statements emerged amidst mounting tension surrounding the issue of illegal immigration ahead of June 30th.
According to statements from the refugees themselves and aid organizations, some members of the group began leaving their homes and communities after facing threats, intimidation, and attacks linked to the mobilization of anti-immigrants. Some sought help from the police and temporarily stayed near the Central Durban police station before being transferred to the Diakonia Centre.
Later, the group was taken to the Department of Home Affairs office on Che Guevara Street on May 21st to verify their immigration status. The issue of documentation became a central element of this dispute.
The eThekwini Municipality reported that 457 people were checked during the process, and only three did not have valid documents. Those who had documents were offered the option to return to their communities and reintegrate. However, the refugees stated that returning is not a safe option, as they fear further attacks or intimidation in the places from which they were displaced.
They also contest the characterization of the group as predominantly composed of illegal migrants, citing the verification process itself.
After the verification procedure was completed, the group remained near the Department of Home Affairs offices. The pavement gradually turned into a temporary settlement where women, children, and men lived. Refugees reported that attempts to find temporary housing elsewhere did not lead to a long-term solution.
Civil organizations provided humanitarian aid, including support for vulnerable people living in the area. During an inspection in July, Yeshelen Govender of Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign noted that the inhabitants included women, young children, and people with chronic illnesses. He added that humanitarian aid was provided by civil organizations.
On June 12th, an Interdepartmental Committee led by Minister of Justice Mamoloko Kubayi met with the group. According to the eThekwini Municipality, two options were presented to them: reintegration into communities or placement at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng. The municipality stated that the group rejected both proposals and continued to insist on being provided with housing. Nevertheless, the refugees considered Lindela an unacceptable long-term solution, arguing that they need protection and temporary shelter because they do not feel safe returning to their former communities.
The date of June 30th was used by anti-immigrant groups as a deadline for foreigners illegally present in South Africa to leave. The National Anti-Xenophobia Campaign, supported by over 130 organizations, including trade unions, civic formations, and community groups, expressed concern over the refugees and asylum seekers forced to leave Durban. The campaign alleged that the group was driven out of homes and communities by vigilante groups. It insisted that people should not be forced to choose between returning to places where they fear for their safety and living on the street without shelter, sanitation, food, or proper protection.
Demonstrations on June 30th took place in several cities under significant security measures. Thousands participated, and the protests were mostly peaceful, although isolated incidents occurred, including shooting in Hillbrow and looting in Cape Town, Durban, and other areas. However, the end of June 30th did not end the mobilization against illegal immigration.
In August, March and March, leader of the Jacinta Ngobeze-Zuma campaign, told supporters in Durban that their campaign would continue. The group planned to hold protests every Thursday until all illegally present foreigners left. This ongoing mobilization intensified the tension around the refugees who were already living near the Department of Home Affairs. March and March later became more actively involved in the dispute, demanding the clearing of the area and insisting that illegally present foreigners leave South Africa. At the same time, refugees and supporting organizations accused the anti-immigrant groups of creating circumstances that forced people onto the streets.
The conflict escalated on September 3rd when March and March conducted what they called a clean-up operation in the area. The confrontation turned violent: stones were thrown, and the police used crowd control measures. Reports indicated that one police officer was hit by a stone, while refugees and protesters exchanged accusations regarding responsibility for the violence.
On Thursday, March and March supporters returned to the area. Protesters gathered at King DinuZulu Park and then proceeded to the refugee camp. The renewed mobilization once again drew attention to the unresolved dispute over the future of the people living near the Department of Home Affairs.
The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thembi Ntuli, stated that the refugees would begin the transfer procedure to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng. Ntuli announced that processing would start on Monday or Tuesday. He also questioned why foreign governments had not intervened to assist their citizens in difficult conditions. This step once again brought Lindela into controversy after it had previously been proposed as an option during the Interdepartmental Committee meeting on June 12th. Previously, the refugees rejected this option, stating that they needed protection and temporary shelter, not repatriation.
The core of the dispute lies in a fundamental question: where should the refugees go if they state they cannot safely return to the communities where they previously lived? Authorities offered reintegration and Lindela as alternatives to living on the pavement. However, the refugees believe that returning to their former communities is unsafe, and Lindela does not provide the long-term protection and temporary shelter they seek. Thus, the pavement near the Department of Home Affairs remains for months a meeting point of two competing positions: calls for the expulsion of illegally present foreigners from South Africa and the insistence of the refugees that many of them have documents and cannot safely return to the communities from which they were displaced.