Xenophobia in South Africa: “They are dehumanizing me” | DW News

Key Concepts

• Xenophobia: Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred against people from other countries.
• Asylum Seekers/Refugees: Individuals who have fled their home countries due to fear of persecution or danger and are seeking safety in another nation.
• Systemic Displacement: The forced movement of people from their homes due to threats, intimidation, or violence.
• Safety in Numbers: A survival strategy where vulnerable groups congregate in public spaces to deter individual attacks.

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The Crisis of Displacement in Durban

The video highlights a critical humanitarian situation in Durban, South Africa, where dozens of immigrants and asylum seekers have been forced to abandon their homes and sleep in the courtyard of the Diakonia Center. This location has become a makeshift sanctuary because it is guarded by police, offering a level of security that these individuals no longer feel in their own residential communities.

Drivers of Migration and Fear

The individuals interviewed are primarily asylum seekers who have resided in South Africa for years. Their decision to sleep in public courtyards is driven by direct threats from neighbors and community members who have demanded they leave their homes. The interviewees express a profound sense of dehumanization, noting that the very country they fled to for safety has become a source of fear and instability.

Historical Context of Xenophobic Violence

The current unrest is framed within a recurring pattern of xenophobic uprisings in South Africa. The report identifies a timeline of significant violence:

• 2008: Cited as the most severe instance, resulting in the deaths of 62 people.
• 2015, 2017, and 2019: Subsequent years marked by organized anti-immigrant protests and attacks.

These historical precedents serve as the primary evidence for why current immigrants feel compelled to seek collective shelter. The memory of past violence creates a persistent atmosphere of terror, leading to the conclusion that their private residences are no longer defensible against community-led hostility.

The Dehumanization of Refugees

A central theme of the report is the psychological toll of this displacement. One refugee poignantly stated: "Most of us who are here they are refugee. Refugee is someone who run this country because of safety and fear for his life. Now when you come to the place where you think that you're going to be safe situation like this you just feel like you are de man [dehumanized]."

This statement underscores the failure of the host environment to provide the basic human right of safety. The immigrants feel that their status as human beings is being stripped away by the constant threat of violence and the necessity of living in public spaces to survive.

Synthesis and Conclusion

The situation in Durban represents a breakdown in social cohesion, where long-term asylum seekers are being forced into homelessness due to recurring xenophobic sentiment. The reliance on the Diakonia Center courtyard as a "safe zone" highlights the inadequacy of current protections for immigrants. The recurring nature of these uprisings—spanning over a decade—suggests a systemic issue that transcends individual incidents, leaving vulnerable populations in a state of perpetual fear and dehumanization.