On 30 June 2026, Alan Hirsch, Head of the New South Institute’s Migration Governance Reform Programme, joined Clarence Ford on CapeTalk’s Views and News to discuss South Africa’s response to renewed anti-foreigner mobilisation and the risks posed by the so-called 30 June deadline.

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The interview took place against a tense national backdrop. Anti-immigration groups had called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by 30 June, prompting concern about intimidation, vigilantism and possible violence in several parts of the country. Police deployments and public appeals for restraint reflected the seriousness of the moment.

Hirsch argued that South Africa’s social and economic pressures are real, but should not be misrepresented as a migration crisis. He noted that foreign nationals make up a relatively small share of the population, and that the country has not experienced a significant new inflow of migrants in recent years. The deeper pressures, he said, lie in unemployment, weak public services, housing constraints, and declining public trust.

The discussion also addressed the limits of migration law reform in the absence of effective implementation. Hirsch acknowledged recent efforts to improve the functioning of the Department of Home Affairs, while cautioning that some proposed measures may be difficult to apply in practice. He also stressed that South Africa’s post-apartheid refugee framework, once regarded as humane and progressive, has not been matched by sufficient work with local governments, civil society, churches and communities to support social integration.

Hirsch warned that political leaders risk reinforcing divisive narratives when they appear to endorse the view that migrants are responsible for South Africa’s broader governance and economic failures. He called for a more coordinated response: political parties should work together to reduce tensions, civic and religious organisations should be mobilised against anti-foreigner agitation, and those responsible for incitement or violence should face visible consequences.

In the longer term, Hirsch pointed to the need for continued Home Affairs reform, closer cooperation with neighbouring countries, and the revision of outdated bilateral labour agreements. He argued that better-regulated pathways for regional labour migration would reduce irregular migration and reflect the long-standing economic links between South Africa and its neighbours.

The interview forms part of NSI’s broader work on migration governance reform, which seeks practical, lawful and regionally grounded approaches to migration policy in South Africa and the wider region.