Johannesburg – Five buses were used to transport 274 asylum seekers and refugees from Durban to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, Gauteng.
The foreign nationals, fearing reprisal from anti-immigrant groups, had camped outside the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre along Che Guevara Road in Durban for about four months after being displaced during anti‑immigrant protests in June 2026.
Recently, violence erupted when anti-immigrant protesters clashed with the foreign nationals, prompting police intervention and arrests.
The department said in a terse statement made available to The Bulrushes that the foreign nationals were “successfully relocated” on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, after engagements with relevant stakeholders and representatives of the affected communities.
Most chose Lindela for safety, shelter, and access to services (schools, hospitals, documentation support).
The asylum seekers and refugees hold valid asylum seeker permits or refugee status papers issued under South Africa’s Refugees Act.
The department said 278 individuals had initially agreed to be transferred, but four decided against the relocation by the time of departure.
Those transferred include 191 nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 76 from Burundi, five from Uganda, one from Mozambique and one from Ghana.
“The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration had presented the displaced communities with two options: returning to their areas of residence or relocating to Lindela,” the statement revealed.
“Following a series of consultations, the option of relocation to Lindela was agreed upon.
“Law enforcement officers escorted the group during the relocation process while Che Guevara Road was cleared to ensure compliance with municipal bylaws and to maintain public order.”
