South African Protesters Go Door-To-Door Forcing Immigrants From Their Homes

Groups of anti-immigration South Africans seized foreigners from their homes in Johannesburg on Thursday ​and handed them to police in a hardening of protests that have sown fear ‌in communities and strained ties with some countries.

In Johannesburg’s Alexandra township, a Reuters reporter saw protesters breaking down doors and entering houses where they believed undocumented immigrants were hiding.

They escorted the people to police vans where they were taken away, including a ​woman and a small child from Malawi. Another man who was apprehended by the marchers told ​Reuters he was in the country legally.

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In Soweto, anti-immigrant protesters marched through town wielding sticks and flags, with ​plans to go search for undocumented immigrants. Several of the flyers for Thursday’s protests advertised a “peaceful march” followed by “door to door”. Another march took place in Durban on the east coast.

South Africa, where millions of people are unemployed, has seen a ​surge in anti-immigrant sentiment in recent months, culminating in nationwide protests on June 30, an informal deadline set ​for undocumented immigrants to leave the country.

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