South Africa groups demonstrate against illegal immigration

Key Points:

• Thousands of demonstrators in South Africa protested against illegal immigration in largely peaceful marches, despite isolated looting and arrests, marking the largest anti-migrant protests since 2008.
• Protest groups set a June 30 deadline for the departure of illegal migrants, blaming them for unemployment and crime, while the government rejected this deadline and emphasized lawful enforcement of immigration laws.
• Amnesty International South Africa criticized the scapegoating of migrants, attributing the country's social issues to apartheid's legacy, inequality, and asylum system failures, warning against xenophobia and misinformation.
• The protests prompted thousands of migrants, mainly from Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Nigeria, to seek repatriation due to fear of violence and attacks on foreign-owned businesses.
• South African authorities have repatriated over 4,200 individuals and deported hundreds more amid rising anti-immigrant tensions, with police maintaining a strong presence to prevent violence during the demonstrations.