DURBAN, South Africa — Refugees and migrants in South Africa are facing renewed fear before a September 30 deadline announced by the anti-immigration movement March and March. The deadline has no legal authority: only the state can enforce immigration law or carry out deportations.
Police say they will continue normal monitoring of announced demonstrations.
The immediate concern is safety. A new Al Jazeera report published on September 28 describes Congolese and other African refugees in Durban who say they are afraid to return to communities they previously fled.
Is South Africa’s September 30 migrant deadline legally binding? No. March and March is a private movement and cannot deport anyone. South Africa’s government says immigration enforcement belongs to Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and police. Demonstrations may occur, but participants must obey the law and may not intimidate or attack foreign nationals.
The deadline is political pressure, not an official order
March and March has called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by September 30 and has warned of further demonstrations if its demand is not met. The movement says it is targeting irregular migration rather than all foreign nationals.
That distinction does not turn its demand into law. South Africa’s Immigration Act regulates admission, residence and departure through public institutions. Government has repeatedly said that members of the public and private groups cannot perform immigration enforcement themselves.
In June, the Presidency warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said immigration enforcement must be left to authorised agencies.
That means September 30 is not an expiry date for valid refugee, asylum, residence or work documents. People with immigration questions should verify their status through the Department of Home Affairs rather than through social-media messages, protest leaflets or unofficial threats.
Police say normal monitoring will continue
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
South Africa September 30 Migrant Deadline Explained
Sep 28, 2026
Sep 28, 2026
5 min read
Published
Updated:
DURBAN, South Africa — Refugees and migrants in South Africa are facing renewed fear before a September 30 deadline announced by the anti-immigration movement March and March. The deadline has no legal authority: only the state can enforce immigration law or carry out deportations.
Police say they will continue normal monitoring of announced demonstrations.
The immediate concern is safety. A new Al Jazeera report published on September 28 describes Congolese and other African refugees in Durban who say they are afraid to return to communities they previously fled.
Is South Africa’s September 30 migrant deadline legally binding? No. March and March is a private movement and cannot deport anyone. South Africa’s government says immigration enforcement belongs to Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and police. Demonstrations may occur, but participants must obey the law and may not intimidate or attack foreign nationals.
The deadline is political pressure, not an official order
March and March has called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by September 30 and has warned of further demonstrations if its demand is not met. The movement says it is targeting irregular migration rather than all foreign nationals.
That distinction does not turn its demand into law. South Africa’s Immigration Act regulates admission, residence and departure through public institutions. Government has repeatedly said that members of the public and private groups cannot perform immigration enforcement themselves.
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In June, the Presidency warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said immigration enforcement must be left to authorised agencies.
That means September 30 is not an expiry date for valid refugee, asylum, residence or work documents. People with immigration questions should verify their status through the Department of Home Affairs rather than through social-media messages, protest leaflets or unofficial threats.
Police say normal monitoring will continue
South African Police Service Deputy National Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said police would continue monitoring the situation and policing announced marches. Her remarks were reported by Eyewitness News, which said no special budget had been allocated specifically for the September 30 demonstrations.
The government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration has separately said that vigilantism, intimidation, looting and attacks based on nationality are criminal acts. Its June 26 statement also warned that old, staged or manipulated videos were being recirculated to inflame tensions.
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No one should treat viral footage as proof of a new incident without checking the date, location and original source. The September 30 countdown may increase the reuse of earlier videos from South Africa or other countries.
Why refugees in Durban remain afraid
The latest reporting adds a human consequence to a deadline that has circulated for weeks. Al Jazeera interviewed refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries who said they feared attacks whether or not their documents were valid.
The report says 274 people were moved from a makeshift camp outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre to the Lindela facility on September 15, while about 150 others remained in Durban and sought alternative accommodation. Those figures are attributed to the report and do not represent all refugees or migrants in South Africa.
The pressure also has a regional dimension. Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry said a September 24 return flight carried 105 people to Lagos and brought the number evacuated since June 10 to 1,821. Earlier XTRAfrica coverage documented Nigeria’s voluntary return flights and the later parliamentary boycott of South African engagements.
XTRAfrica has also tracked the wider regional scrutiny of anti-migrant tensions. The fresh angle is not that evacuations have begun—they have been underway for months—but that a new deadline is renewing fear shortly before South Africa’s local government elections.
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What migrants should do if threatened
People facing an immediate threat should use official channels rather than confronting demonstrators or relying on unverified online accounts.
For a police emergency: Call SAPS on 10111 or contact the nearest police station. SAPS says the caller should provide the location, a description of suspects and information about weapons where safely possible.
To report information anonymously: Use Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
For Home Affairs questions: The department lists 0800 601 190 and hacc@dha.gov.za for its contact centre.
For Nigerian consular help: The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria lists 012 342 0805 and nhcp@telkomsa.net on its official website.
The SAPS crime-reporting service says any crime victim may open a case free of charge. Immigration status does not authorise assault, robbery, threats or denial of access to the police.
The next verifiable milestones are any formal notice about September 30 demonstrations, police deployment updates, arrests connected to intimidation or violence, and new consular advisories. Until then, the responsible framing is clear: the deadline is not law, but the fear and safety risks it has created are real.
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