Anti-migrant demonstrations in South Africa have erupted into violence over the past three years, including the looting and setting ablaze of foreign-owned businesses in the townships of Soweto, near Johannesburg, and the coastal city of Durban. Police have beefed up the ranks to manage the violence and stop further violence.

The protests coincide with a ruling by the court that permits some illegal immigrants to seek asylum, a move which has drawn opposition from some groups that want tougher immigration laws. People marched around government refugee centres and demanded more stringent controls on new applications.

Although the police claim that there will be no risk of a “flood” of applications for asylum, however, the potential risks include violence and damage to property; additionally, it should be noted that appearing at the office of asylum does not guarantee that you will be automatically granted refugee status or permanent residence. All the applications will still be processed and verified for immigration issues.

Xenophobic violence has taken place several times in South Africa; migrants are usually blamed for taking away jobs from South Africans and committing crimes; all these problems have become even more acute in the conditions of high unemployment and inequality in this country.

These events show how hard it is to control immigration issues in the country.