South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs announced on Friday, 9 October, the withdrawal of a directive that had opened the reception of asylum applications, one day after anti-immigrant protests escalated into violence in Johannesburg and Durban.

The directive had been issued to implement a Constitutional Court ruling of 7 July, which found that asylum seekers could not be barred from accessing South Africa’s protection system solely on procedural grounds, such as having entered the country illegally.

In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said the directive had been issued as an operational measure, but that its implementation had within days overwhelmed refugee reception centres, placed staff at risk, and triggered threats to public safety and order.

The government attributed the situation to the spread of misinformation about the court ruling, clarifying that the judgment did not automatically confer refugee status, permanent residency, or other legal rights on undocumented immigrants.

Africa’s largest economy is facing a growing wave of anti-immigrant protests that have strained relations with other African countries and forced thousands of foreign nationals to leave South African territory.

Immigrants are frequently blamed for unemployment, crime, and pressure on public services — accusations that social scientists say are not supported by evidence.

On Thursday, protesters set alight 14 vehicles in the coastal city of Durban and a further 10 in the Soweto township of Johannesburg. Shops owned by foreign nationals were also looted.

On Friday, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, a senior police official, told a press conference in Soweto held beside the burnt-out wreckage of the torched vehicles that calm had been restored to the area.

In Durban, police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said the situation had stabilised, adding that the swift intervention of the authorities had prevented further damage.