May 25, 2026
Demonstrators react as they march during a protest against undocumented migrants organised by the March and March and Operation Dudula groups in Cape Town on May 23, 2026. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)
South Africa is stepping up action against illegal migrants, and citizens must not take the law into their own hands, the government said Monday as protests against undocumented foreign nationals escalate.
Several ministers held an urgent meeting to address weeks of nationwide protests against undocumented foreign nationals whom anti-migrant groups accuse of crime and taking work from locals.
An ultimatum by one citizen-led group for illegal migrants to be expelled by June 30 has raised fears of violence after previous bouts of anti-migrant unrest that claimed dozens of lives.
