The government says it will urgently address the situation at a migrant camp outside the Home Affairs office in Durban’s Umbilo area following violence during an anti-illegal immigration protest last week.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration said it would continue monitoring the site on Che Guevara Road, where a group of foreign nationals has been camping for several months.
The migrants have been calling on the government to provide protection, saying they fear returning to the communities where they previously lived because of alleged threats of violence.
Tensions escalated last week when about 100 protesters marched to the Home Affairs office as part of demonstrations against illegal immigration. Violence broke out during the protest, with at least five people reportedly taken to hospital.
Justice Minister Mamoloko Kubayi condemned the violence, stressing that immigration management and law enforcement are responsibilities of the state and should not be carried out by members of the public.
Kubayi said the government was aware of concerns among residents living near the camp and was working towards resolving the situation.
“We would like to assure members of the public and residents adjacent to that area that the matter will be resolved as a matter of urgency,” she said during a media briefing in Pretoria.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has also been assisting members of the group in exploring possible solutions, including voluntary integration into local communities.
Kubayi reiterated that South Africa does not intend to establish or operate refugee centres for the group.
“Members who come from the diaspora and other countries are expected to integrate into our communities when they are here lawfully,” she said.
The government is expected to continue engaging with the migrants and relevant stakeholders as it works to find a solution to the ongoing standoff while addressing concerns over public safety and immigration enforcement.