South African public health professionals and academics have warned that escalating anti-migrant sentiment poses a serious public health and human rights threat.
Vigilante groups in South Africa have set June 30, 2026 as the deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country or risk unspecified action.
In a strongly worded statement released this Monday, the professionals said organised anti-immigrant groups were creating fear and instability by spreading misinformation about refugees and migrants, particularly regarding access to healthcare and the economy.
The statement, signed by hundreds of doctors, professors, researchers and healthcare workers, said migrants were being unfairly blamed for South Africa’s economic and social challenges while the real causes were state failure, corruption, unemployment and deepening inequality.
“Xenophobia is a serious public health issue,” the statement read.
“Violence, intimidation and exclusion cause direct physical and psychological harm, disrupt access to healthcare, undermine disease prevention and treatment programmes, and weaken social cohesion.”
The health experts expressed concern that organised groups were pushing for an unlawful June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa, warning that the campaign risked triggering violence against African migrants and refugees.
Although framed as targeting undocumented migrants, the statement warned that both documented and undocumented migrants, as well as South Africans perceived to be foreign, could become victims of attacks.
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The professionals noted that South Africa hosted approximately 2.4 million international migrants in 2022, representing just 3.9% of the population, while more than eight million South Africans had migrated internally between provinces.
They said there was no evidence that migrants placed a disproportionate burden on public healthcare facilities.
According to the statement, research by Médecins Sans Frontières and data from the National Department of Health showed that undocumented migrants often avoided healthcare facilities out of fear of arrest or deportation and delayed seeking treatment until illnesses became severe.
The experts also condemned incidents in which organised groups blocked migrants from accessing hospitals and clinics, describing the actions as unconstitutional and in violation of a November 2025 Gauteng High Court ruling in the case of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia versus Operation Dudula.
They criticised both national and provincial health departments for failing to implement clear healthcare access policies for migrants and refugees.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said South Africa remained committed to protecting therights of all people within the country, regardless of nationality.
Ramaphosa also warned against vigilante groups using public frustration to incite violence and lawlessness.
However, the health professionals said there remained scepticism about whether government would fully implement those commitments.
“We need to remain vocal in ensuring that migrants and refugees are protected from violence, and that government is held to account for the commitments it has made,” the statement said.
The group called for urgent government intervention to protect refugees and migrants from intimidation and violence, stronger action against misinformation, and clear healthcare policies guaranteeing access to emergency and essential services regardless of immigration status.
