African countries including Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have warned expatriates in South Africa to be vigilant and stay indoors due to attacks targeting foreigners, and Ghana has lobbied the AU regional bloc for action.
South Africa has seen a wave of protests against illegal immigration as well as incidents of violence against immigrants from other sub-Saharan African countries.
Migrant rights groups said they were being scapegoated by South Africans who blame them for the country's economic problems, including high unemployment that exceeds 30% and disproportionately impacts the black population.
Ghana on Wednesday said it had facilitated the safe return of a citizen who was seen being targeted in a viral video, while Nigeria also said it was repatriating at least 130 citizens following the deaths of two Nigerians.
The Ghanaian statement did not identify the incident he was referring to, but a video circulating on social media showed a Ghanaian man being harassed by a crowd of people demanding to see his papers and questioning their authenticity. “We don’t want you here,” one woman says.
from mozambique President Daniel Chapo On Tuesday he met President Cyril Ramaphosa and called for peace, while the Ghanaian government wrote to the AU asking it to take up the issue.
Other countries issued warnings in statements to their citizens.
Xenophobic attacks have flared up from time to time. monitoring group operation dudula Has led campaigns against undocumented immigrants, including at times barring them from entering public health facilities.
The government has condemned the violence, while also expressing sympathy for its citizens' frustrations over illegal immigration.
“It is within the rights of South Africans to protest against the growing illegal immigration challenge, but the violence associated with those protests is unacceptable and law enforcement must deal with those instigating such violence,” a cabinet statement said on Thursday.
South Africa's immigrant population has seen steady growth over the past few decades, rising from 2% of the total population in 1996 to 4% in 2022, according to a report by Stats SA. It said that most of the people are from Sadak area.
reuters