DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL — Asylum seekers and refugees continue to camp on the pavements outside the Department of Home Affairs in Durban following an unofficial June 30 deadline, having fled their communities amid escalating anti-immigration protests. The displaced foreign nationals are urgently calling on the eThekwini Municipality and the national government to provide temporary shelter, protection, and humanitarian assistance while a long-term solution is negotiated.
Crisis at Che Guevara Road
Despite the passing of the June 30 deadline, a significant number of asylum seekers remain stranded outside the Refugee Reception Office on Che Guevara Road. Many of these individuals hold authentic legal papers to remain in the country but report losing their jobs and being chased out of their residences due to the heightened xenophobic tensions.
Conditions on the ground remain dire as winter sets in. Families, including small children, are sleeping on the cold pavements at night and using plastic sheets to cover their belongings during rain. While the municipality has provided portable toilets for basic sanitation, there is currently no proper housing or documentation assistance available.
One asylum seeker from Burundi, who has been camped outside the offices for nearly two months, highlighted the financial impossibility of returning home independently. He noted that a flight back to Burundi costs approximately 7,000 Rand, while transport via truck costs around 4,000 Rand—funds he simply does not have. He, like many others, is waiting for community leaders or government intervention to secure safe housing or facilitate their return.
Repatriation Hopes Stall at the Old Durban Drive-In
Across the city at the old Durban Drive-In—a recently decommissioned temporary repatriation center—another group of foreign nationals has congregated. This site is primarily hosting Malawian nationals hoping to be repatriated back to Malawi.
Many of these individuals arrived recently after being forced out of their residences in areas north of Durban, near Umhlanga. Others had been waiting at the center to collect outstanding salaries from their employers before the facility was closed. They are now waiting for buses to transport them to Musina, the primary transit hub, before crossing the border into Malawi.
However, the logistics of the repatriation process have proven difficult. Migrants arriving with large amounts of luggage face strict space limitations on the buses. Consequently, many are forced to leave their belongings behind, which are subsequently cleared away by municipal workers cleaning the site.
High Commission Issues Plea as Transport Runs Out
With the influx of people hoping for transport, officials are struggling to manage the situation. Adam Ali, a representative from the Malawian High Commissioner’s office in South Africa, confirmed that the repatriation transport has largely been exhausted.
Speaking on the logistics of the recent movements, Adam Ali explained that five buses sponsored by the Department of Home Affairs were organized last Friday, though their departure was delayed due to pending transit permits. Additionally, two buses were organized by the charitable organization Gift of the Givers specifically to transport vulnerable women and children from Durban to Musina and onward to Malawi.
Adam Ali issued a strong directive discouraging more foreign nationals from flocking to the Durban Drive-In. He confirmed that there are no additional buses available to take people to Musina and urged those still in the Durban communities to stop sending SMS messages to their friends and relatives encouraging them to come to the Drive-In, as no further transport assistance can be provided.
Despite these clear communications, small groups continue to gather along the fences of the decommissioned center, holding onto hope that good Samaritans or government officials will arrange further transport to Musina.
