Cars burned and shops looted as anti-immigration protests rock South Africa

South Africa saw violent anti-immigration protests in Soweto and Durban on Thursday, 8 October, after a Constitutional Court ruling eased restrictions on asylum applications.

Police said 10 vehicles were set alight during clashes in Soweto, near a Home Affairs office in Orlando West, Johannesburg. Shops owned by foreign nationals were also looted, while firefighters tackled burning cars and police closed nearby roads. Similar unrest broke out in Durban, where riot police were deployed after reports of looting and vehicle fires; police said 14 vehicles were torched there.

The violence followed a July Constitutional Court ruling removing barriers that prevented some migrants from applying for asylum, including those who entered South Africa irregularly. Authorities said refugee reception offices had been overwhelmed by applicants. The government pledged to expand processing capacity and strengthen identity checks, stressing that the ruling did not automatically grant refugee status.

Police reported no injuries in Soweto and warned that those responsible for violence and destruction would face prosecution.