South Africa's anti-migrant March and March gives foreigners until June 30 to leave

South Africa's anti-migrant movement 'March and March' has set a June 30 deadline for 'undocumented' foreign nationals to leave the country, and for businesses to fire them. The date falls 10 days before World Refugee Day on June 20, and the group claims there are between 15 million and 30 million illegal immigrants in South Africa.

Since April, anti-migrant protests have erupted across the country. People have died. Properties have been destroyed. Families have been displaced. This isn't new. Since 2008, waves of violence against African migrants have hit South Africa repeatedly. The government has always called them isolated incidents, not a systemic problem.

The numbers tell a different story from what March and March claims. Statistics South Africa's 2023 survey found 3.1 million immigrants in the country — that's 5.1 percent of the population, including every documentation status. The UN says migrants peaked at 3.2 million in 2015, which was 5.6 percent of the population. That's lower than the global average of 3.6 percent, and far below North America's 15.9 percent or Europe's 12.7 percent.

But perception is stronger than reality. The 2025 Human Sciences Research Council's Social Attitudes Survey found South Africans more hostile to immigrants than ever. Only 15 percent of adults said they'd welcome all foreigners. 42 percent said they'd welcome none. The hardest attitudes are in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, among poorer and working-class adults.

Afrobarometer's 2025 survey showed that seven out of 10 South Africans see immigrants' economic impact as negative. The same survey found evidence that each immigrant worker creates roughly two jobs for citizens. Most people — 85 percent — want to reduce or stop refugee entry entirely. Many don't know the difference between refugees and migrants.

South Africa hosts about 75,000 refugees and 165,000 asylum seekers. Those numbers peaked in 2015 and have been dropping since. For comparison, Uganda hosts two million refugees.

"Illegal immigration is not the cause of all our economic challenges," President Cyril Ramaphosa said recently.

Ramaphosa promised five actions: crack down on immigration and labour law violations; prevent irregular entry; stop corruption in the immigration system; strengthen immigration laws and policies; and improve migration coordination with other African countries.

But the Institute for Security Studies says the government needs more consistent, honest messaging to convince South Africans. ISS research shows anti-migrant feeling is driven by beliefs that foreigners make unemployment and inequality worse, strain housing, health and education, and commit more crime.

The language used matters. Terms like 'illegals', 'illegal aliens', and 'illegal foreigners' stoke fear and violence. A person can't be illegal — actions can be. Migration laws treat unauthorised entry or visa overstaying as criminal offences. Migration is normal for a country sharing borders with six others. Calling it a crisis suggests extraordinary responses are needed, not just better management.

March and March claims it only targets migrants without legal rights. But reports say violence is being meted out indiscriminately.

The risks go beyond South Africa's borders. In 2024, South Africa's intra-African trade totalled $42 billion. Its businesses across the continent have faced backlash. Several governments and the African Union have condemned the marches, issued travel warnings, and started repatriation programmes for their citizens.

Nigeria is one of the countries that has spoken out. The Nigerian government has condemned the anti-migrant violence and warned its citizens in South Africa to be careful. Given that Nigeria is South Africa's largest trading partner in Africa, the tension threatens economic ties worth billions.

For years, the ISS has provided analysis showing that the public and government overstate the number of asylum seekers and their role in burdening Home Affairs. Home Affairs has been found to block access to asylum on the assumption that many claims are fraudulent. Many judges have handed down scathing rulings against the department.

World Refugee Day on June 20 is meant to honour people forced to flee their homes. In South Africa this year, it comes with a deadline hanging over the heads of hundreds of thousands of people.