The weekly anti-migrant protests announced by March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma are expected to begin on Thursday, following the nationwide demonstrations held on 30 June targeting undocumented foreign nationals.
As calls for the removal of undocumented foreign nationals continue in parts of South Africa, one should remember that not all people who cross the country's borders are migrants by choice.
Many are refugees or asylum seekers who have fled war, persecution, political violence or other serious threats to their lives and freedoms, and are protected under both international and South African law.
South Africa is a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Refugee Convention. These obligations are incorporated into domestic law through the Refugees Act, which governs who qualifies for protection and what rights they have.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) distinguishes between migrants and refugees based largely on why they leave their country.
