What began as a perceived place of safety for Malawian migrants fleeing fear and uncertainty rapidly evolved into a major humanitarian crisis, with overcrowding, deteriorating conditions and clashes with police placing Sherwood Hall at the centre of South Africa's migration debate.
A quiet hall located in Sherwood, Durban turned into a large-scale holding and processing site for Malawians, with humanitarian organisations describing it as a crisis this June. IOL explores why and how this happened.
For many, the decision to go there was shaped by fear and insecurity, with some saying they had fled alleged xenophobic attacks by anti-migrants in parts of Durban and surrounding areas.
Under the visible presence of police and municipal authorities, the site quickly became a perceived place of safety, even as it rapidly transformed into a large-scale holding area.
As days passed, the sense of safety gave way to confinement and uncertainty. Migrants described being caught between the need to regularise or await repatriation and the lack of clarity over how long the process would take.
