Cars burned and shops were looted in two South African cities on Thursday as protests against migrants turned violent. Police said at least 24 vehicles were set alight in Soweto, near Johannesburg, and Durban. No injuries were reported.
In Durban, protesters gathered outside a government refugee reception centre, demanding that it stop accepting asylum applications. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, while businesses in the city centre closed their doors.
The unrest followed allegations that a foreign national had assaulted a protester. Police said three foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the alleged attack. They also reported clashes between South African and foreign nationals, according to BBC News.
In Orlando West, a Soweto neighbourhood, residents had gathered to demand the closure of small convenience stores known as spaza shops. Some foreign traders were forced to leave, local media reported. Shops were attacked and a building was set on fire. Police sent reinforcements to prevent further violence.
The protests came amid anger over a Constitutional Court ruling that allows some people who entered South Africa without the required documents, or missed immigration deadlines, to apply for asylum. The ruling does not grant them refugee status or the right to remain permanently. Each application must still be assessed, and applicants remain subject to immigration checks.
Long queues formed outside immigration centres after the judgment. The Department of Home Affairs said on Friday that its staff had been overwhelmed and that public safety concerns had emerged. The government said it would change how it applies the ruling, but gave no details. It said the new policy would still comply with the court’s decision.
South Africa has faced repeated attacks on migrants over nearly two decades. In 2008, more than 60 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced in widespread violence.
The latest unrest has unfolded amid deep poverty, inequality and unemployment affecting about a third of the workforce. Migrants are often blamed for taking jobs and straining public services, but researchers say such broad claims are not supported by evidence.
