Hundreds of Malawians return home amid tensions in South Africa
More than 600 Malawian nationals who had been sheltering at a temporary place of safety in South Africa's Eastern Cape have now begun their journey home.
Many said they decided to leave after a community-imposed deadline required foreign nationals without legal documentation to leave the area. Several told Global South World that landlords refused to accept their rent and instructed them to return to Malawi, leaving them without accommodation. Others said they feared for their safety and livelihoods if they remained.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for immigration laws to be enforced while warning against vigilantism and unlawful actions against foreign nationals.
This report explores how the deadline affected those caught up in the migration debate and the real-world consequences it had for hundreds of people preparing to leave a small coastal town in South Africa.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
