[REVISION HISTORY]

South Africa xenophobic violence and mass migrations

Updated 38 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-24 17:35 UTC → 2026-10-26 13:30 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The anti-immigrant wave in South Africa has intensified, driven by nativist groups like ‘March and March’ that set a September 30, 2026, deadline for illegal migrants to depart. This follows a June 30 deadline that triggered a significant exodus. Recent data indicates more than 178,000 African immigrants have left the country, including over 115,000 returning to Zimbabwe and 56,000 to Malawi. While many departures occur through voluntary repatriation, South African authorities have detained nearly 60,000 undocumented foreigners since the start of the year. Diplomatic tensions have escalated as South Africa requested $18.5 million from Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Ghana to cover repatriation costs. Nigeria has responded by engaging the African Union and ECOWAS to address the violence, noting that approximately 90 Nigerians have been killed in such attacks since June 2022. As of late September 2026, Nigeria has conducted 13 consular evacuations, bringing the total number of evacuated Nigerian nationals to 1,821. The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the arrival of 105 distressed citizens in Lagos on September 26, an operation partially supported by $265,854 from the Redeemed Christian Church of God. In Ghana, the government faces intense scrutiny over the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 citizens. The ~~New Patriotic Party (NPP) has alleged financial irregularities, including~~ parliamentary Minority, led by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, is demanding an independent audit, alleging a GH¢16.4 million gap in verifiable spending. Discrepancies include claims that ~~an aide pocketed $10,000~~ only 824 names matched payment registers for the GH¢5,000 reintegration grants and GH¢500 transport allowances, and that ~~beneficiaries received double payments or failed to sign~~ flight records only account for ~~assistance. The NPP also identified significant data discrepancies, such as impossible birth dates and duplicate passport numbers. Ghana’s~~ 1,173 evacuees. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has rejected claims of missing funds or underpayment, stating that payments were made transparently in two envelopes at the airport. High Commissioner ~~to South Africa,~~ Ben ~~Quarshie, attributed record-keeping errors to clerical mistakes by South Africa’s Border Management Authority, specifically noting~~ Quarshie also denied reports that ~~passport expiry dates~~ evacuees slept in buses, asserting that hotel accommodations were ~~incorrectly entered into date-of-birth fields.~~ provided. Meanwhile, the High Commission has advised citizens in Johannesburg and Durban to exercise caution due to ongoing protests.

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