Durban is facing a growing humanitarian and displacement crisis as thousands of migrants and refugees remain without shelter following recent enforcement and relocation operations.
According to the National Campaign Against Xenophobia, between 6,000 and 10,000 people are currently gathered at Sherwood Hall and Sherwood Park, while more than 200 documented refugees are sleeping outside a Department of Home Affairs office in Durban with no alternative accommodation.
Speaking to CapeTalk, spokesperson Matt Glasspool said the situation reflects a broader breakdown in coordinated state intervention.
“There are multiple situations at play in Durban alone,” Glasspool said. “Over 6,000 people are gathered at Sherwood Park, and there is an entire group of documented refugees being forced to sleep outside a Home Affairs office.”
Documented migrants among those displaced
Glasspool stressed that the crisis extends beyond undocumented migrants awaiting repatriation, noting that many of those affected are legally registered individuals.
He said more than 200 people sleeping outside the Home Affairs offices are documented migrants who were violently displaced from their communities.
“All of whom can produce proof that they are confirmed documented persons,” he said.
According to Glasspool, many of those affected have now spent weeks living on the streets after being forced from their homes, with reports of lost housing, destroyed livelihoods and stolen property.
“These people have nowhere else to go,” he added.
Civil society steps in as state response questioned
Glasspool said community organisations and civil society groups have carried most of the burden in providing humanitarian assistance, while state support has been limited.
“The state has been largely absent, if we are being completely honest,” he said.
He added that essential services such as food distribution, healthcare, medication and sanitation have largely been provided by non-governmental organisations and volunteers.
While government processes related to immigration enforcement and deportations are underway, Glasspool argued that humanitarian support has not kept pace with the scale of need.
“Ground-level response filling the gap”
The spokesperson further criticised what he described as gaps in government capacity to manage the unfolding crisis.
“The government has been useless in this crisis,” he said.
He added that much of the response effort has come from ordinary citizens and grassroots organisations attempting to fill the void.
“The effects of having the ability to fight it have been coming from the ground, from civilians themselves,” he said.
The situation continues to raise concerns about migration management, humanitarian response coordination and social cohesion in South Africa.
Source: National Campaign Against Xenophobia, CapeTalk interview.