More than 3,500 Malawian nationals have been repatriated from South Africa as authorities intensify efforts to manage a growing deportation exercise linked to rising anti-immigration tensions and concerns over undocumented residency.
According to Malawi’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Stella Ndau, a total of 3,509 citizens have either arrived in Malawi or are currently en route as part of ongoing coordinated repatriation arrangements.
She explained that the figure includes 1,549 individuals who have already returned to Malawi, 1,260 who are still being transported, and about 700 others who were formally deported with assistance from South African authorities.
The repatriation follows months of protests in parts of South Africa, particularly Johannesburg and other urban centres, where demonstrations against illegal immigration have heightened tensions between local communities and foreign nationals.
South African authorities have since established and expanded temporary deportation processing centres, including a new facility in Durban, to manage the large number of returnees and ease congestion at existing sites.
Reports indicate that thousands of Malawians have been housed at an overcrowded holding area in Sherwood, Durban, where many have been waiting for processing and transportation back home.
Some affected individuals have described difficult living conditions and uncertainty, with long-term migrants among those caught up in the repatriation exercise.
South African officials have maintained that due legal processes must be followed, noting that many of those affected are being processed through court systems because they are in the country without valid documentation.
Delays in transportation have also been reported, with logistical challenges including insufficient buses contributing to the slow movement of returnees. Malawi authorities have reportedly sought additional support to facilitate the return process.
The situation has prompted wider regional concern, as Malawi joins other African countries coordinating similar repatriation efforts in response to growing public pressure and enforcement actions in South Africa.
Authorities from both countries continue to collaborate to ensure an orderly and humane repatriation process as migration-related tensions persist in parts of South Africa.
