Refugees in Durban fear violence as September 30 deadline nears

September 28, 2026 at 05:29 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Refugees and asylum seekers in Durban, South Africa, are bracing for potential violence ahead of a September 30 deadline set by the anti-immigration group March and March. The group has demanded that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country and has threatened further protests if its demands are not met. Local government elections are scheduled for November 4, with migration a central campaign issue.

Key Facts

March and March, an anti-immigration movement, has set a September 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has lived in South Africa for 26 years and is now in hiding after speaking out for foreigners' rights.
On September 3, members of March and March confronted refugees outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre, leading to violence in which at least four people were reported injured.
South Africa will hold local government elections on November 4, with migration emerging as a prominent political issue.

The September 30 Deadline

March and March, an anti-immigration movement that has led protests across South Africa this year, has called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country by September 30. The group has warned of further demonstrations if its demands are not met. For refugees like Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, who arrived from the Democratic Republic of the Congo 26 years ago, the distinction between documented and undocumented migrants offers little comfort. Bahebwa told Al Jazeera he is in hiding because he fears being killed for speaking about the rights of foreigners.

Durban Refugee Camp Conditions

For roughly four months, hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers slept on the pavement outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road. Many were from the DRC and Burundi, with others from Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania. Residents described irregular access to food and medication, and said one man with tuberculosis died while living at the camp. Al Jazeera has not independently established the circumstances of his death.

Confrontation and Police Response

On September 3, members of March and March confronted refugees and asylum seekers living outside the centre, and violence broke out. Police intervened, and at least four people were reported injured. At another protest days later, police officers stood between the two groups, forming a barrier as tensions rose. March and March has described its mobilisation as a campaign against undocumented immigration, crime and deteriorating conditions in South African communities.