South Africa has moved Nigerians and other African nationals in Durban to a screening centre as the country intensifies what officials call security operations against undocumented migrants. Cyril Xaba, the mayor of eThekwini Municipality, ordered the transfer, marking an escalation in the government's approach to immigration enforcement in the port city.
The screening centre will process the relocated migrants, though details about the facility's location and the exact number of people moved remain unclear from available information. Authorities have not specified how long individuals will be held or what criteria will determine their status during the screening process.
The move comes amid broader xenophobic tensions in South Africa, where foreign nationals, particularly Africans, have faced repeated violence and discrimination. Nigerians have been among the hardest hit by attacks and harassment in recent years, with several documented incidents of mob violence and economic exclusion in major cities including Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The government frames these operations as security measures, but civil rights groups have consistently warned that mass relocations and detention of migrants without due process violate international law and South Africa's own constitutional protections. The country has faced criticism from the African Union and international human rights organisations over its treatment of foreign nationals.
It remains unclear whether the eThekwini Municipality's action will extend to other South African cities or if it signals a policy shift at the national level. The Nigerian government has not yet issued a public response to the relocation, though the country's mission in South Africa typically monitors such developments affecting its citizens abroad.
