‘Extreme fear’ among immigrants as backlash sweeps South Africa

Protesters in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, call for the deportation of undocumented immigrants in South Africa. Photograph: Ihsaan Haffejee/Reuters

African migrants in South Africa say they are living in fear after a series of marches calling for illegal immigrants to leave reignited long-held xenophobic sentiment in the country.

March & March, a campaign group at the forefront of recent protests, has given people living illegally in the country until 30 June to leave, without specifying what will happen to those who do not.