The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on Thursday expressed concern about the rise in violence and racist hate crimes targeting migrants in South Africa, urging authorities to implement urgent measures to address this issue.
CERD reported a range of attacks perpetrated against migrants, including killings, displacement, abductions, looting, destruction of property, unlawful evictions, and restrictions on access to essential services, which all violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The committee also noted the proliferation of racist hate speech and the dissemination of negative stereotypes against migrants and refugees in South Africa, particularly by civic movements and through social media platforms. CERD further highlighted the inadequate response by law enforcement agencies to address the increasing xenophobia and violence against migrants, raising additional concerns about the persistence of racial profiling and racially motivated excessive use of force by law enforcement officials.
Additionally, CERD criticized the absence of effective strategies to address the root causes of racial discrimination and violence against migrants, which include persistent socio-economic inequalities dating back to the apartheid era as well as delays in the issuance and renewal of migrants’ documents.
Consequently, the committee called on authorities to implement measures to combat the formation of organised racist vigilante groups as well as proscribing and dismantling such organizations. It also recommended that authorities work with media outlets and Internet service providers to combat the spread of hate speech and harmful stereotypes online. It additionally urged the country’s authorities to ensure an objective and proportionate law-enforcement response to racist violence and to guarantee accountability through investigations of all reported abuses.
Lastly, CERD called on the country to provide detailed information on measures taken and their impact on the mentioned concerns, to be submitted in its periodic report by January 9, 2028.
South Africa has recently faced recurrent anti-immigration protests and a flare-up of xenophobic violence amid an ineffective government response. On June 7, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a public statement in which he condemned vigilantism and hate crimes against migrants, warning against scapegoating migrants for South Africa’s socio-economic challenges.
On July 28, the president called for greater cooperation between African states to tighten immigration laws and strengthen their enforcement. In August, the government deported over 80,000 undocumented migrants to their countries, following a series of mass deportation flights that have been carried out since March.
