CAPE TOWN — President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a televised address on Sunday regarding South Africa's migration policy. The address outlined new immigration enforcement measures and appealed for calm as tensions rose.
The South African coalition government, established in 2024, deported over 100,000 undocumented individuals during the preceding two years. In the past year, border officials intercepted approximately 450,000 unauthorized entry attempts, Ramaphosa said.
Protest organizers had previously established a June 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals in the country to depart. These organizers also requested government negotiations regarding the issue.
The President acknowledged public concerns regarding migration. Ramaphosa said, "Many South Africans are raising difficult but legitimate questions." He noted that the concerns were real and deserved to be heard and addressed.
Prior immigration management contained weaknesses, and authorities will implement decisive corrective measures, he stated. He also called on citizens not to turn on each other over migration policy. He said, "Only authorized government officials can act against violations of our law."
In 2008, the country experienced violence during which international rights groups characterized more than 60 deaths as xenophobic incidents. Recently, the governments of Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique reported that their citizens experienced threats and violence in the country due to their nationality.
Ghana repatriated approximately 300 citizens from the country during the previous month following these reported threats. The Mozambique government stated that five of its citizens were killed in incidents it described as xenophobic in Mossel Bay. Independent estimates place the undocumented migrant population in the country between 2 million and 5 million out of 62 million residents. The country has received migration flows from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, and Ethiopia for decades.
No independent assessment of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s claims was available.