South Africa Deploys 500 Soldiers to Durban After Anti-Immigrant Violence

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed more than 500 soldiers to Durban on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to support police efforts to contain escalating anti-immigrant violence in the coastal city. The deployment follows the fatal beating of a foreign national during a protest last week and months of attacks targeting migrants and foreign-owned businesses.

According to reports on the unrest, protesters have set vehicles ablaze, looted shops owned by foreign nationals and intimidated refugees seeking assistance at immigration offices. The violence has also driven tens of thousands of migrants to leave South Africa in recent months, marking one of the country's largest mass exoduses in years.

The soldiers will assist police under Operation Prosper, a joint security initiative announced by Ramaphosa earlier this year. The operation seeks to combat serious crime, restore public order and stabilize volatile areas. The deployment is expected to conclude in November, with an estimated cost of $2 million.

Ramaphosa attributed the unrest in Durban to misinformation surrounding a court ruling on asylum applications, according to a government statement issued Monday. The ruling, announced in July, was misrepresented by some groups as a decision granting all undocumented immigrants citizenship, employment and voting rights.

The court struck down a procedural restriction that prevented migrants from applying for asylum if they had entered South Africa illegally or failed to report their arrival within five days. It ruled that asylum applications must first be assessed on their individual merits.

South Africa's government has maintained that immigration laws must be enforced by authorized state institutions. Officials have also warned that members of the public must not threaten or attack foreign nationals or attempt to enforce the law themselves.

Durban police have opened a murder investigation into the death of the foreign national killed during last week's protest. According to the police account, two men appeared to separate from a group of demonstrators before approaching the victim, who was subsequently assaulted by about 50 people.

South Africa's Human Rights Commission condemned the killing and rejected the use of social and economic grievances to justify attacks on individuals.

The commission said, "disagreements about immigration, unemployment, crime or access to public services cannot justify violence against anyone."

Anti-immigration groups have argued that foreign nationals place additional pressure on public services and compete with local residents for limited employment opportunities. Many migrants, however, had traveled to South Africa seeking economic opportunities in Africa's largest economy.

Authorities expect anti-immigration protests to intensify as South Africa approaches local government elections scheduled for November 4, 2026. The military deployment is intended to support police operations during the period of unrest.