Anti-migrant protests turn violent in Durban and Soweto over South African asylum ruling

Anti-migrant protests turned violent on Thursday in South Africa's coastal city of Durban and in Johannesburg's Soweto township. Vehicles were set on fire in both places. Foreign-owned shops were looted in Durban.

The unrest followed demonstrations demanding that refugee centres stop processing asylum applications. The protests are linked to a court ruling that struck down provisions barring people from the asylum system on procedural grounds, including irregular entry into the country. The government has said the ruling does not automatically grant refugee status or permanent residence.

Gunshots were heard in Soweto, according to South African media reports cited by DW and Reuters. DW named the broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.

According to Al Jazeera, Acting National Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Puleng Dimpane said 10 vehicles were torched in Johannesburg and 14 in Durban, and that three people were arrested in Durban. Police said foreign-run businesses were forced to close in both areas, Al Jazeera reported.

DW reports that Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Superintendent Xolani Fihla said in an interview with SABC television that at least nine vehicles were torched. "It's reported that there were clashes between foreign nationals in the area and South African nationals," he said, according to DW. "At the present moment, I can confirm that no injuries have been reported."

Al Jazeera, citing a Reuters reporter, said residents in Soweto carried groceries out of a shop they said was owned by a person from Somalia, whom they chased away. The residents fled when police arrived. In Durban, police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters who reportedly set fire to a foreign-run business, according to AFP reporters cited by Al Jazeera.

According to Al Jazeera, the Constitutional Court issued the ruling in July. DW reports it has led hundreds of people to go to refugee centres, reportedly including some who do not qualify for asylum. Al Jazeera reports that the government's Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration held an urgent briefing on Thursday about overcrowding at asylum offices.

South Africa has seen months of anti-immigrant protests this year. Tens of thousands of people have fled. About a third of the population is unemployed.

What is disputed

The number of vehicles burned in Durban differs. DW reports about 10. Dimpane put the figure at 14, according to Al Jazeera. The figures may reflect different times or counting methods.

What each side says

Government spokesperson William Baloyi said false information about the ruling triggered the violence, according to Al Jazeera, which quoted him as saying: "We are deeply concerned by what is going on now." The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe that information or evidence for the claim.

Protesters oppose the ruling. Anti-immigrant groups say undocumented foreign nationals should leave; DW cites a 30 June deadline, while a related Al Jazeera headline refers to 30 September. Social scientists cited by DW say claims that migrants take jobs, fuel crime and strain public services are not supported by evidence.

The reports do not include casualty figures for Durban, protest organisers or crowd sizes.

Analysis

The unrest highlights a tension between a court ruling widening access to asylum procedures and public anger in areas facing high unemployment. The government says the ruling is being misrepresented, but the reports do not show what information circulated. Several paths are possible. Clearer official communication could ease tensions, or confusion could keep fuelling protests. Overcrowded asylum offices may add pressure on authorities either way. How police respond, and whether the government outlines further steps, may shape what happens next. None of these outcomes is certain, and the available reports do not indicate which is more likely.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.