South Africa repatriated 2,745 foreign nationals in the week following President Cyril Ramaphosa's pledge to toughen the fight against illegal immigration.
The announcement was made on Sunday by the Minister of the Interior.
This country, which constitutes one of the largest economies in Africa, has long attracted migrant workers from across the continent, whether they are in a regular or irregular situation.
However, with an unemployment rate exceeding 30%, the country regularly experiences surges in anti-immigrant tensions, marked in recent weeks by new episodes of violence.
Groups of South Africans armed with sticks, whips and shields marched in several parts of the country, demanding that foreigners without residency permits leave the country before June 30.
Faced with growing security concerns following looting and attacks targeting foreigners, nationals from Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have agreed to voluntarily return to their countries with the help of repatriation programs organized by their governments.
"As of last night, we can confirm that 2,745 repatriations have taken place since the president's intervention," said Interior Minister Leon Schreiber.
According to the authorities, the majority of those repatriated were in South Africa without proper documentation.
Among them are Malawian nationals, of whom approximately 7,000 had gathered in a vacant lot in the eastern port city of Durban, according to an inter-ministerial committee on migration issues.
The Malawian government has put eight buses into service to repatriate its citizens, while South Africa has provided ten additional buses to expedite operations.
Among the first passengers were families carrying a few personal belongings. "I'm relieved to finally be leaving. It's better than living in fear here," said Fortunate Chilenje, a 25-year-old Malawian who has been living in South Africa for three years.
Last week, President Ramaphosa acknowledged public concerns about illegal immigration, while warning that the authorities would not tolerate citizens taking the law into their own hands.
Tensions escalated after the deaths of two Mozambicans following a march against illegal immigration held on May 29 in the town of Mossel Bay, in the Western Cape province. Mozambican authorities, however, reported five deaths.
According to the national statistics agency, more than three million foreigners currently live in South Africa, representing 5.1% of the country's population.
