Johannesburg – Misinformation about migrants and refugees is fuelling fear and anger in South Africa as the country battles rising tensions linked to protests and reported incidents of intimidation, with migrant support organisations warning that public debate is increasingly shaped by distorted narratives.
The Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) says it continues to receive reports of sporadic incidents and intimidation in parts of Durban, Estcourt, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, although it cautions that not all accounts have been independently verified.
Yasmin Rajah of CoRMSA says many of the claims circulating in public discourse are inaccurate or misleading. 
“There’s a huge amount of misinformation… just the fact that they’re taking our jobs, there’s only a small percentage of jobs that are actually being talked about,” she said.
Rajah disputed claims that migrants and refugees broadly access state grants, saying even recognised refugees face significant administrative barriers.
“People are traumatised. They’re scared to come out. Even when they’re documented, they don’t feel protected,” she said.
She added that children are increasingly caught up in the anxiety, with mothers reporting that their children are too frightened to attend school.
“A lot of mothers are saying to us their children are scared, and they’re scared to send their kids to school,” Rajah said.
According to Statistics South Africa’s migration report based on Census 2022 data, the country’s foreign-born population has grown steadily over the past two decades. The share of international migrants increased from 2.1% of the total population in 1996 to 3.9% in 2022, reaching an estimated 2.4 million people. Most migrants originate from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, reflecting long-standing labour migration patterns.
South Africa is estimated to host more than three million migrants, making it one of the continent’s largest migrant destinations.
Legal experts say the country’s immigration system is undergoing one of its most significant reform phases in years, following Cabinet approval in April of a revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection. The framework outlines changes including a proposed “first safe country” principle, a points-based system for citizenship, and expanded digitalisation of immigration systems.
Senior Associates in Employment and Immigration Law at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Lee Masuku and Taryn York, say the reforms are aimed at restoring regulatory control rather than shutting the country off to migrants.
“The proposed reforms must be viewed less as an issue of ‘closing South Africa’ and more as a matter of re-asserting regulatory control through law, planning and systems,” they said.
The Department of Home Affairs has also secured a Constitutional Court ruling in the case of Director-General, Department of Home Affairs and Others v Irankunda and Another, which found that asylum seekers whose applications have been finally rejected may not reapply on the same grounds. The ruling overturned an earlier Supreme Court of Appeal decision and is aimed at reducing delays and backlogs in the asylum system.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the judgment.
“This judgment… is an affirmation of the progress we are making in restoring the rule of law and clamping down on abuse in migration and asylum systems,” he said.
Masuku and York cautioned that the “first safe country” principle may still face constitutional scrutiny depending on how it is applied.
“What is critical is how the principle is applied, not merely that it exists. Constitutional pushback is possible, and the courts will play a central role in defining its limits,” they said.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the government is continuing efforts to strengthen border control through the Border Management Authority, accelerate deportations, and intensify workplace inspections targeting undocumented labour. She added that the revised policy framework includes provisions allowing government to designate certain trades, professions and businesses exclusively for South African citizens and recognised refugees.
