14/10/2026
Migrants Live in Fear in South Africa as Court Ruling on Asylum Applications Fuels Xenophobic Backlash
Migrants Live in Fear in South Africa as Court Ruling on Asylum Applications Fuels Xenophobic Backlash
Durban protesters threaten to make the city ungovernable unless undocumented foreigners are deported, after a court ruling on asylum seekers.
Mandla Masuku, president of the Migrant Workers Union of South Africa, says foreign workers are losing jobs, shutting businesses and staying indoors, while unions, police and international bodies fail to respond
Johannesburg, South Africa: A recent court decision granting asylum seekers the right to apply for protection in South Africa has triggered a fresh wave of xenophobic rhetoric and fear among migrant communities, according to Mandla Masuku, Founder and President of the Migrant Workers Union of South Africa (MIWUSA).
Masuku is also a council member of the Global Migrant Workers Network and a winner of the 2025 Black Sash Human Rights Awards' Molly Blackburn Lifetime Achievement Award. He has more than 12 years of experience in labour rights advocacy and union organising. In an exclusive interview with The Labour Pulse, he said that since the ruling, foreign nationals have been living in fear for their safety.
"Since the ruling came, foreigners are living in fear for their lives. They cannot operate their businesses freely, they are more restricted in their homes, and they cannot walk freely, especially in areas such as KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng," Masuku said.
Who is affected
According to Masuku, migrants from Asia, mainly Bangladesh and Pakistan, are among those affected. So are nationals of Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique. He said any foreigner working in the informal sector, such as running salons or street vending, is at risk.
Mandla Masuku
Mandla Masuku
Masuku described South Africa as a receiving country for migrants. He said its porous land borders make irregular entry possible, and he alleged that corruption among some Home Affairs and police officials helps people cross illegally.
He said many of those now rushing to apply for asylum are not new arrivals. Some applied earlier but could not renew their documents, especially during the Covid-19 period when Home Affairs offices were closed. Others, he said, simply want legal status so they are not arbitrarily arrested by police. "Most of them have already established their lives in South Africa, which makes it difficult for them to just leave the country," he said.
On the causes of the anti-migrant sentiment, Masuku said individuals, politicians and sometimes whole communities use migrants as scapegoats. "Politicians cover their failures by claiming they could not deliver services because of migrants. Sometimes it is about populism. If you speak against migrants, you get loved or rewarded," he said.
He also criticised the response of the authorities. "The police and local authorities are not doing much to stop the problem. Police are sometimes controlled by politicians, and politicians fear rebuking this conduct openly because they could lose support from local people," he said. He added that little is being done by government, as some departments are themselves hostile to migrants.
Impact on workers
The impact on working life has been severe, Masuku said. Many migrants are losing their jobs because companies fear hiring or keeping foreign workers so they will not be targeted by anti-migrant groups. Those who stay employed face unfair dismissal, unfair treatment and poor pay.
He said trade unions are largely failing to protect migrant workers. "Unions do not do much because they fear losing their large membership of citizens. It then takes migrant unions like ours to always stand up for migrants in times like this," he said.
Civil society organisations, he said, are doing their best to expose the abuses and sometimes directly assist affected migrants. However, he said international bodies such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN refugee agency UNHCR are not visible enough on the ground.
The Labour Pulse is reporting this story based on the interview with Masuku. The views and allegations are his own.
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