South Africa migrant crisis: Burundian refugees settle in Durban as anti‑immigration protests drive Nigerians and Ghanai

In 2024 South Africa registered over 250,000 asylum seekers and refugees, about 4% of whom were from Burundi. A study of 15 Burundian refugees living in Chatsworth, Durban, found that while the township offers safety, residents face precarious livelihoods, limited services and the lingering trauma of conflict.

Anti‑immigration protests across the country have intensified, prompting tens of thousands of foreign nationals to leave. Nigerian businessman Richard Itoro abandoned a 15‑year‑old car‑dealership in Johannesburg after harassment of him and his South African wife, and Ghanaian hairstylist Emmanuel Asamoah returned to Ghana following public confrontations. The unrest has strained South Africa’s relations with Nigeria and Ghana, especially after the death of a Nigerian detainee during a police arrest. Officials, including Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie and Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, stress the right to enforce immigration laws while welcoming documented migrants.