Ramaphosa unveils immigration crackdown, warns against xenophobia

South Africa is experience a wave of anti-immigration demonstrations including grotesque xenophobic violence. A big march has been rumoured to be planned for June 30th, with fears of more violence yet to come.

The government has responded by doubling down on a message of increasingly effective deportations, border controls and identity digitization as well as fighting fraud and corruption in Home Affairs.

Tonight, June 7th, President Ramaphosa outlined the government's plans to further efforts at fighting illegal immigration, but also condemned xenophobia, vigilantism and harassment. The government seems to be hoping to take the wind out of the sails of anti-immigration voices by adopting ever stronger immigration policies.

The xenophobic violence has brought South Africa in for extreme criticism on the continent, as several African nations have offered hundreds of their citizens repatriation flights.

This article is relevant because it is part of the anti-immigration moment that is seizing global politics at the moment. But South Africa's less capable state and inefficient police force means xenophobes can commit violence and abuse on migrants at a level you would not see in most developed countries.