South Africa closes Pietermaritzburg shelter as thousands of Malawians go home
South African authorities have closed a temporary shelter in Pietermaritzburg after more than 7,000 undocumented Malawian nationals were repatriated to their home country, as a regional migration crisis eases in parts of the country.
The mayor of the KwaZulu-Natal city, Mzimkhulu Thebolla, announced the closure of the shelter following the successful return of the migrants. The facility had housed Malawians who chose to leave South Africa amid rising anti-immigrant tension.
The repatriation is part of a wider movement of citizens of several African countries out of South Africa in recent weeks, as anti-immigration protests and reports of xenophobic attacks stoked fears among foreign nationals. Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana and others have organised returns for citizens who no longer felt safe.
The departures come against the backdrop of a tense debate over undocumented migration in Africa's most industrialised economy, where campaigners have demanded tougher enforcement and blamed foreigners for unemployment and crime.
Rights groups have urged calm and warned against collective blame, noting that many migrants are long-term residents with families and businesses. The closure of the Pietermaritzburg shelter marks one visible endpoint of a fraught chapter that has strained relations between South Africa and its neighbours.
