CAPE TOWN – Despite the intolerable circumstances, Somali migrants prefer to remain in South Africa rather than return home.
Amir Sheikh, chairperson of the African Diaspora Forum (ADF), said that many Somali migrants prefer to remain in South Africa rather than return to Somalia, despite ongoing protests against illegal immigration.
His remarks come as thousands of undocumented immigrants are leaving the country following protests that urged foreign nationals to depart from South Africa.
South Africa has recently experienced public unrest, large anti-migrant protests, and a broad government crackdown initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber.
Activist groups such as March and March had set a firm “June 30 deadline” for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. This has led to heightened regional tensions, reported door-to-door intimidation, and localised conflicts in areas such as Olievenhoutbosch and the Overberg region of the Western Cape.
Concerned about increasing violence, thousands of foreign nationals have either sought safety or decided to leave the area. Governments in nearby African countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, and Nigeria have taken proactive measures, arranging buses and charter flights to evacuate their citizens.
However, ADF, a coalition of migrant groups representing roughly 70,000 migrants in the country, said that Somali migrants are unlikely to return home even as many illegal immigrants depart South Africa.
Sheikh explained that the situation for Somali migrants is different from that of neighbouring countries, as returning to Somalia is not a practical choice due to ongoing conflict and political unrest.
He said the circumstances facing Somali migrants differ from those of people from neighbouring countries because returning to Somalia is not a viable option. “Even if the situation is unbearable, we’d rather stay back here in South Africa than go back home,” Sheikh said, describing Somalis as a peace-loving community that trusts South African law enforcement and welcomed the security deployment during the recent demonstrations.
Sheikh said Somali business owners would close their shops if they knew protest marches were passing through areas such as Johannesburg’s Mayfair to avoid confrontation.
“We’ll make sure the businesses are actually closed for that day,” he said, adding that protesters should be allowed to exercise their democratic constitutional rights freely while law enforcement maintains order.
Human rights organisations warn that Somalia is inching towards greater political instability. The government’s electoral reforms, scheduled for 2026, are strongly opposed by critics who believe they favour the current president.
If this deadlock continues, it could lead to increased violence. The internal conflicts among political leaders have shifted attention away from key issues such as combatting Al-Shabaab, a highly resilient militant and insurgent group operating as a prominent affiliate of al-Qaeda.
Moreover, the impasse could cause Somalia’s international backers to withdraw their support, weakening the federal government’s stability.
