Two hundred documented refugees were ordered to leave the Durban Home Affairs offices early on 15 June 2026. They joined thousands of others at Sherwood Community Hall following warnings about a planned March and March event.
Police directed the group to depart by 4am on 15 June, citing safety concerns from March and March supporters. The refugees, mostly from the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Sudan, had camped outside the offices since 21 May after Home Affairs officials confirmed their legal status in South Africa. It remains unclear if the Tuesday event occurred. No state transport was provided.
Activists escorted the refugees to a field at Sherwood Community Hall. As of 16 June more than 8,000 people were camped there, including many Malawian and Mozambican nationals seeking repatriation. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli visited the site that morning.
Yeshelen Govender, a local activist, said the community supplied tents and toilets. “The only thing the state has done is post the police force around here,” she said. Leanne Sefu, a refugee from Goma in the DRC, described repeated threats and said officials had directed the group to return home or to Lindela despite their legal status. Luthando Ngubane of eThekwini Municipality reported that four buses carrying deportees had left for Malawi, with six more scheduled soon. A temporary immigration court has been set up at the site to speed up orders.
