South Africa fears xenophobic violence spike as xenophobic group orders undocumented immigrants to leave by June 30

Immigrants in South Africa say they are preparing for what they describe as a surge in xenophobic violence, after attacks on foreign-owned businesses and reports that migrants have been forced out of their homes, with several people killed, according to an NPR report published June 25.

The report says migrants fear the situation could worsen following an ultimatum from a leading xenophobic group, which has given “all undocumented immigrants” until June 30 to leave South Africa. Some migrants described the threat in stark terms, saying, “They can kill you,” in the report.

NPR reported that the violence has included attacks on foreign-owned businesses, disrupting work and supply chains for communities where such stores and services are part of everyday life. Migrants also said they have been driven from where they live, creating displacement that raises immediate concerns about shelter, safety, and access to basic services.

The reported pattern has put local communities and authorities under pressure, including police and local leadership, to prevent further assaults and to protect people regardless of immigration status. The fact that the group’s message is focused specifically on undocumented residents heightens concerns that intimidation could lead to attacks during the final days of the deadline.

The situation also raises legal and due process issues, because the group’s order is not a government measure and does not follow a transparent, lawful removal process. Even as governments can address immigration enforcement, rights advocates generally argue that vigilante action and collective punishment outside court procedures endanger lives and undermine the rule of law.

For migrants trying to comply under threat, the near-term practical question is where they would go and how they would travel safely before the deadline, particularly for people with limited resources. Displacement also creates second-order harms, including family separation and difficulty obtaining documentation, according to the concerns cited in the report.

Authorities and international humanitarian groups typically respond to such developments with emergency protection measures, security deployments, and access to services, but the NPR account emphasizes that migrants feel they have limited protection while violence unfolds and the June 30 date approaches.

NPR’s report points to a deteriorating security environment for foreign nationals and other outsiders in South Africa, and it frames June 30 as a critical cutoff date set by the xenophobic group rather than the government, underscoring the risk that intimidation could accelerate in the final week.