Over 160,000 illegal immigrants have fled South Africa after thousands of citizens took to the streets demanding foreigners leave. The protests were largely peaceful, but police were called to disperse violent protesters in some areas of the country. One death was reported in the Johannesburg area.

Immigration Crisis

South Africa is facing an immigration crisis, with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants entering the country. Many of these immigrants are blamed for rampant crime, taking jobs, and overrunning hospital wards and places in government schools.

The March and March movement, a prominent anti-immigrant civic group, claims that the number of illegal immigrants living in South Africa is between 15 and 30 million. However, the official published figures from a census taken in 2022 by Statistics SA are much lower, with up to three million immigrants in the country.

Government Response

Following the public outcry, President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to ‘crack down’ on immigration issues. As of July 11, the government claims a total of 53,449 foreign nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation.

Public pressure groups and politicians are calling on the government to do more to address the immigration crisis. Herman Mashaba, president of Action SA, said, ‘Action SA is deeply frustrated by the government’s weak and reactionary response to South Africa’s immigration crisis, which is ultimately the consequence of three decades of ANC failure to secure our borders.’

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.