Africa: All of Africa Today - October 9, 2026

The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa has withdrawn a directive on asylum applications following violent anti-immigration protests in Soweto and Durban, where at least 24 vehicles were torched and foreign-owned businesses were looted. The directive was introduced after a Constitutional Court ruling allowed asylum seekers to apply for protection regardless of how they entered South Africa or whether they missed immigration deadlines.

However, mounting pressure on refugee reception offices, concerns over staff safety, and threats to public order prompted the department to reconsider its approach. The ruling remains in force, and asylum applications must still be assessed individually.

Brief written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.