Destitute illegal foreigners fleeing SA before 30 June. 7000 gone, more waiting for Bushiri buses

ore than 7,000 undocumented Malawian nationals have been successfully repatriated from Durban, while thousands more remain at a new temporary staging site at the city's Old Drive-In site in the North Beach area. This mass migration event unfolded rapidly in June 2026 as Malawians fled informal settlements due to rising anti-migrant tensions and fear of planned anti-illegal immigration protests.Current Status of the Repatriation SiteSite Relocation: Authorities closed down the initial transit camp at Sherwood Community Hall due to severe overcrowding and undesirable health conditions. Displaced individuals have been moved to the more secure Old Drive-In site on North Beach.Mass Backlog: Government officials estimate that roughly 8,000 more individuals are still waiting at the new site to be processed, verified, and sent home by bus.Inter-Governmental Collaboration: The South African Department of Home Affairs, SAPS, and the eThekwini Municipality are working directly with Malawian officials. Because the vast majority are undocumented, the Malawian government is issuing emergency group passports to facilitate legal travel.Key Humanitarian ConcernsVulnerable Groups: Priority for bus transport is being given to women and children. Local officials confirmed that 12 babies were born in the temporary camp setup.Localized Tensions: Delays in processing and initial plans to send some men to the Lindela Repatriation Centre instead of directly to Malawi sparked short-lived clashes with law enforcement. A virtual priority court has since been introduced to speed up legal deportation proceedings directly to their home country.Watch these news broadcasts to understand the conditions at the transit camps and see how the multi-government processing operation is unfolding