Protests against illegal migrants in South Africa: What’s going on?
From What in the World by BBC World Service
June 5, 2026 · 11 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the recent violent protests against illegal immigrants in South Africa and the underlying tensions surrounding immigration and identity.
South Africa has seen weeks of protests against illegal immigrants. Some of these protests have turned violent and people have been killed. The country is grappling with deep tensions around immigration and identity. Houses have been burned, shops damaged and looted, and people have been forced to leave their homes. There have been reports of vigilante groups checking the documentation of foreign nationals and forcing small businesses run by non-South Africans to close. Countries like Ghana and Nigeria have even been evacuating their citizens from the country. So what’s behind these recent protests? And what are authorities doing to try to reduce illegal migration in South Africa? BBC correspondent Mayeni Jones explains. We also hear what South Africans and migrant workers living in the country make of the protests. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Julia Ross-Roy and Stefania Okereke Editor: Verity Wilde.
People in this episode
Host: Hannah Gelbart
Topics covered
- protests
- illegal immigration
- South Africa
- violence
- identity
- vigilante groups
Keywords
- protests
- illegal immigrants
- South Africa
- violence
- vigilante groups
- immigration
- identity
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC World Service
Places: South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria
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