African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University

10/07/2026

📰 NEWS: 'South Africa faces growing African backlash over xenophobia, expert warns' Eyewitness News

South Africa’s growing wave of anti-migrant sentiment is no longer just a domestic issue—it is increasingly shaping how the country is viewed across the African continent. Recent attacks, protests, and the displacement of foreign nationals have prompted concern from neighbouring countries and raised difficult questions about South Africa’s commitment to human rights and pan-African solidarity.

Speaking on the issue, ACMS research associate Dr Becky Walker warns that the country can no longer avoid confronting the reality of xenophobia.

“The time for denying this is xenophobia has passed.”

For more on this article, visit: https://migration.org.za/south-africa-faces-growing-african-backlash-over-xenophobia-expert-warns/



Xenowatch ACMS
Wits - University of the Witwatersrand

08/07/2026

📰 NEWS: The passing of the 30 June deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa may have marked the end of a highly charged political moment, but for thousands of people affected by anti-migrant mobilisation, the consequences remain painfully real.

South African Research Chair in Mobility and the Politics of Difference at the ACMS (University of the Witwatersrand), Professor LB Landau, tells Times LIVE that the country must now shift its focus towards humanitarian support and a more honest conversation about migration, inequality and governance.

Landau notes that, June 30 has passed, but damage is done: “People are displaced, stuck at borders, stuck in these centres in Durban, people whose property has been looted or destroyed, and they need an immediate humanitarian response.”

More on this article: https://migration.org.za/migration-expert-calls-for-better-understanding-humanitarian-aid-post-june-30/



Xenowatch ACMS

The passing of the self-imposed 30 June deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa may have marked the end of a highly charged political moment,

08/07/2026

The Constitutional Court has upheld a Western Cape High Court ruling that certain provisions of the Refugees Act are unconstitutional and invalid.

07/07/2026

📰 NEWS: South Africa's latest wave of anti-migrant protests demands more than simplistic explanations. As The Independent reports, these are not isolated expressions of public frustration, but part of a broader and increasingly organised political landscape.

In a recent news article, Prof. Jo Vearey of the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS), Wits - University of the Witwatersrand, offers an interesting perspective: "This isn't sort of a grassroots mobilisation, this is something that is a very clearly organised and manipulated space."

Her observation reminds us that we must look beyond narratives that scapegoat migrants and instead examine the political, economic and social forces shaping these protests—and who stands to benefit from them.

More on this piece: https://migration.org.za/mandelas-dream-of-rainbow-nation-shaken-by-wave-of-deadly-anti-migrant-protests/



Xenowatch ACMS

South Africa is once again confronting a wave of anti-migrant mobilisation that has displaced thousands of people, disrupted communities, and reignited

06/07/2026

📝 OP-ED: 'The Other Violence: While South Africa watched the marches, the state built a camp'

As South Africa reflects on recent anti-migrant marches, this powerful Daily Maverick op-ed by ACMS's co-director Prof. Jo Vearey and associate researcher Dr Becky Walker reminds us that violence is not only what unfolds in the streets—it is also what is built through policy, bureaucracy and silence.

The piece challenges us to look beyond the spectacle of public protests and confront the quieter forms of state violence that displace, exclude and deny dignity to those seeking protection. It is an important reminder that humanitarian crises are often produced through political choices, not simply unfortunate circumstances.

A timely and essential read for anyone concerned with migration, human rights and the future of democracy in South Africa.

Read the full op-ed here: https://migration.org.za/op-ed-the-other-violence-while-south-africa-watched-the-marches-the-state-built-a-camp/



Wits - University of the Witwatersrand
Xenowatch ACMS

02/07/2026

📺 VIDEO: As nationwide demonstrations against undocumented foreign nationals continue, the immigration debate has become one of South Africa’s most pressing and polarising issues.

Questions remain regarding border security, law enforcement, unemployment, economic pressures, and the country’s ability to manage migration within the framework of the law and human rights.

In this Newzroom Afrika news insert, ACMS's co-director Prof. Jo Vearey (she/her) and National Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson Siyanda Biyela unpack the challenges, varying perspectives, and the path forward.

Wits - University of the Witwatersrand
Xenowatch ACMS

By Newzroom Afrika

26/06/2026

📰 NEWS: 'South Africa struggles with migrant exodus and economic unrest' (Moneyweb)

The rise of comes as South Africa struggles with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. More than 13 million people are currently out of work.

According to Professor Jo Vearey of the African Centre for Migration and Society at the Wits - University of the Witwatersrand, migrants are increasingly being blamed for problems created by policy failures.

“Even if you removed every foreign national from the country, it’s not going to suddenly create the number of jobs needed to address unemployment,” she said.

Read the rest of this article here: https://migration.org.za/south-africa-struggles-with-migrant-exodus-and-economic-unrest/



Xenowatch ACMS

25/06/2026

🚨 EVENT: Join us tomorrow for the 'Parliamentary Symposium On Migration and Social Cohesion' taking place at the Wits School of Governance. ACMS migration expert and co-director Prof. Jo Vearey will be making inputs.

📆 Date: Friday, 26 June 2026
⏰ Time: 09:30 – 13:30 SAST
📍 In-person venue: Wits School of Governance, 2 St David’s Place, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2050
💻 Zoom registration: https://tinyurl.com/yc37st87
ℹ️ More info.: https://migration.org.za/event-parliamentary-symposium-on-migration-and-social-cohesion/



Wits - University of the Witwatersrand
Xenowatch ACMS
IOM South Africa