11/06/2026
[PRESS STATEMENT] ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐
๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ, ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ถ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ
The Research Unit for Legal and Constitutional Interpretation and Theory (RULCI), of The University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University; the Research Chair Gender, Transformation and Worldmaking of the University of the Western Cape; and the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) of the University of the Free State join other research units and centres around the country to express their grave concern over recent reports of xenophobic violence, intimidation, harassment, and vigilante conduct targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.
We are particularly concerned by the spread of anti-immigrant vigilantism to the Western Cape, where groups of foreign nationals, including children and women, have reportedly been forced out of their homes and schools with no option but to flee by bus; and to the Free State, where protest concerning undocumented foreign nationals turned into looting of foreign-owned shops in Bloemfontein and Botshabelo.
No person should be forced to flee their home, seek refuge out of fear or face vandalism, looting and destruction of property because of their nationality, language, or perceived immigration status. South Africaโs constitutional democracy is founded on the values of human dignity, equality, freedom, and the rule of law. Acts of violence, threats, intimidation, and harassment directed at individuals on the basis of nationality, language, appearance, or perceived immigration status are a direct assault on these values.
Violence, vigilantism, collective punishment, or the unlawful targeting of foreign nationals cannot be justified by the claims or actual fact that the targeted foreign national are โillegal foreignersโ. The Immigration Act of 2002 contains stringent provisions for the identification of illegal foreigners, the regularisation of their stay, or alternatively their deportation. The enforcement of immigration laws remains the sole responsibility of the state, acting within the bounds of the Constitution and the law. Under the Bill of Rights and international human rights law, the process of migration enforcement must be subject to strict judicial oversight and control. No individual or group may assume these powers through intimidation, violence, or mob action.
We call on the government to take immediate and effective measures to prevent further vigilante violence, harassment, and intimidation against foreign nationals and to hold those responsible for instigating or perpetrating such conduct criminally accountable.
While it is essential that the government reclaim exclusive control over the enforcement of its immigration laws, a commitment to stricter law enforcement alone is unlikely to address the reality of irregular or undocumented migration to South Africa or the persistent threat of xenophobic vigilantism.
RULCI, the Research Chair Gender, Transformation and Worldmaking, and the FSCHR urge the government to revisit its migration laws and policies in line with regional and continental instruments, such as the African Unionโs Agenda 2063. Government must, as a matter of urgency, recognise that human migration is a transnational phenomenon that requires trans-national or regional responses. Government must explore ways to increase regular migration pathways to South Africa, in line with the commitment to the free movement of people as the foundation of a prosperous Africa of the future.
We further call on political leaders, community formations, civil society organisations, faith leaders, and the public to (i) reject xenophobia and reaffirm the values of solidarity, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence; and (ii) to strengthen public education and community-based initiatives aimed at combating xenophobia, misinformation, and hate-based violence.
Joint statement issued by the Research Unit for Legal and Constitutional Interpretation and Theory (RULCI) (at the UWC and SU), the Research Chair in Gender, Transformation and Worldmaking (UWC), and the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) (UFS).
![[PRESS STATEMENT] ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐
๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ, ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ,...](https://img4.glunis.com/559/401/1465500445594016.jpg)
![[CALL FOR PAPERS] ๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ (๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ) โช๏ธ ๐ฐ We invite academics, researchers, PhD ...](https://img5.glunis.com/585/609/1462879695856091.jpg)
