Claims of intimidation and denial of services fuel uncertainty outside Home Affairs centre.
Image: XOLILE MTEMBU
Hundreds of migrants have been enduring prolonged conditions outside the Department of Home Affairs’ Durban Refugee Reception Office in Glenwood, KwaZulu-Natal, where anxiety and uncertainty continue to mount amid warnings they say were issued in March and the looming June 30 deadline to leave South Africa.
Many report living in constant fear, with little clarity on their legal status or what comes next as enforcement pressure intensifies.
The group, which includes men, women and children, told IOL that they have been left without clear protection or official guidance, and claimed they are anxious about possible threats of violence linked to the deadline.
Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, 51, who described the situation as both a humanitarian and spiritual crisis affecting displaced families.
"I'm part of the people who are here as members of the community. But I am also here as an adviser, offering spiritual guidance. We have been outside since we left Durban Central Police Station."
He said the group had moved between different locations in search of safety and clarity but remained in limbo.
"They moved us to the Diakonia Centre, where we registered with social services and Lawyers for Human Rights. But because it is private property, they also decided to come and conduct verification. We asked them whether verification is part of the solution. Up to now, no one has come back to us. They simply left us here, thinking that we are safe."
Bahebwa said conditions had deteriorated significantly for those gathered outside the reception office, particularly given the size of the group.
"We do not have any food. People are suffering, and we do not even have enough toilets, especially as there are more than 300 people here. Remember, on Saturday it was raining, and people were outside in the rain because they said it was better to die in public." he added.
A 48-year-old Congolese mother of six who chose to remain anonymous, told IOL that the threats she has heard have left families living in fear and uncertainty.
"We are here asking for protection because we are being threatened. We are being told repeatedly that on June 30, we will be killed and that no foreigner will remain in South Africa."
She said the group had already experienced violence and felt abandoned despite the presence of law enforcement.
"We have come here to seek protection because we have already been attacked. Even when the police are present, they are not doing anything. They are not helping us, so we are unsafe. We are pleading with the government to protect us or to intervene and stop this movement.”
She described severe socio-economic hardship, saying many were unable to meet basic living costs.
"While we are here, people are clearly not working. How will we pay rent? We do not have our own houses, and we do not have food or anything else. It is difficult for us to say we can return to the community because we still need to pay rent and buy food. Children need to go to school, and they need transport money and school fees. All of this is a major problem."
She also raised concerns about access to healthcare, saying both she and her family had been turned away from medical facilities.
"I had an appointment for a womb examination that I waited for a year to get. When the appointment finally came on September 22, I was supposed to go to Addington Hospital, but I was turned away because I am not South African; I am a foreign national, so I could not receive treatment.
"My grandson has sickle cell disease, but he is also being denied treatment. We do not know what to do anymore. We are confused, which is why we are asking for protection. We are at breaking point."
A while ago, she said her children also fell ill but were unable to access care.
"They had flu. I tried home remedies, but they did not recover, so I decided to take them to the clinic. When I arrived at the clinic, I was turned away."
She claimed that financial constraints made private healthcare impossible.
"We are not working, so how am I supposed to get money to buy medication or see a private doctor? We are suffering greatly."
Numerous individuals showed IOL scars they say had been inflicted on them by assailants.
Hundreds of migrants camp outside Durban Home Affairs office amid fears over alleged June deadline.
Image: XOLILE MTEMBU
Anti-migrant group March and March has repeatedly denied being violent or attacking migrants.
The group has insisted that "South Africans are not xenophobic, nor are they violent, they have been patient with the government for far too long and foreign nationals have abused our mercy, kindness and it ends now."
It further said it was acting in defence of communities. "We are the voice of the voiceless, the unemployed, the drug addict, the women who are raped and trafficked every day by foreign nationals, we say enough is enough."
The group also warned of escalating national tensions.
"We are aware that the executive is planning to unleash the army on us in June, yet they have dismally failed to remove the illegal immigrants from our shores."
Among those also camped at the site is a Ugandan man who said the group had valid documentation but remained fearful following accusations linked to March and March.
"We came here for our safety because they are accusing us of not having documents to stay in South Africa legally, but we have proven that we have documents from the Department of Home Affairs."
He said the uncertainty had left many families unable to plan for their futures or access essential services.
"These grievances must be considered so that our people, especially mothers and children who are suffering, are sick, and in need of medical attention, can be attended to."
He added that legal status should guarantee access to public services.
"Our papers allow us to be in the country legally. We should be able to access government services such as hospitals and education for children. These are the concerns we are still raising."
Immigration expert Craig Smith said the situation reflects systemic gaps in how migration, rights protection, and enforcement are managed in South Africa.
"In our immigration laws home affairs have a duty to countenance and prevent xenophobia and educate civil society on rights of foreigners and refugees," he said.
He warned that institutional responsibility cannot be shifted away from the state. "Any failure quite literally lay at the door of the Department and the Minister of Home Affairs."
Smith also stressed that government must prioritise protection and enforcement simultaneously. "At the same time SAPS are duty-bound to maintain law and order and anti-immigrant sentiment that escalates or incites violence is a crime and those protagonists must be arrested."
He further argued that the state carries constitutional obligations beyond administrative processes. "The government has a duty under our constitution to give shelter, protection and dignity to all persons in the country and not leave the issue for NGO's."
He added that the current situation requires urgent national attention. "It's a flagrant breach of human rights and a commission of enquiry must be launched to stop [alleged] xenophobic sentiments and conduct."
Smith added that accountability begins at the highest levels of governance.
The Department International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) minister's spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the situation could not be resolved through informal enforcement or public intimidation, warning against the rise of vigilante responses to migration.
"Irregular migration cannot be addressed by vigilantism. Law enforcement must address all matters of criminality, including the abuse of immigration laws," he said.
He stressed that migration must be managed within legal frameworks and not through coercion or hostility.
"Migration will happen, but it must happen within the confines of the rule of law," he added.
Phiri also cautioned against rhetoric that targets foreign nationals, arguing it undermines long-term solutions. "Dehumanising people does not address any problem, let alone immigration challenges," he said.
He further pointed to broader structural challenges driving tensions in communities.
"Structural economic issues will not be addressed by targeting foreign nationals," he said.
Phiri added that the country's history demonstrates that migration is not a new phenomenon, but a long-standing feature of the region. "The history of South Africa cannot be told without understanding migration, from the Mfecane/Difaqane up to the dictates of colonial settlers," he said.
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