JOHANNESBURG, 26 May. - (ANA) - South African police used rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of migrants seeking emergency refuge following a wave of vigilante assaults — violence that has escalated diplomatic tensions with Ghana and Nigeria.

 

The spate of attacks on migrants coincides with a highly contested local government election campaign. Independent researchers warn that political parties and self-appointed community leaders are weaponizing anti-immigrant sentiment to capture votes from a frustrated electorate: Rising unemployment, currently slightly above 40%, has made non-nationals an easy target for political figures in Africa’s biggest economy. The violence has also seen Accra and Abuja petition the African Union to force an emergency debate on the subject at next month’s AU summit. Pretoria has labeled Ghana’s move as “regrettable” and said it has a right to secure its borders.

 

The violence comes weeks after the South African cabinet approved a plan to institutionalize a “First Safe Country” principle, which automatically disqualifies asylum seekers who pass through other safe nations before reaching South Africa.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/26 May 2026 - - -