DURBAN – Scores of foreign nationals and refugees in Durban spent the night outside the Diakonia Centre in the CBD.
They camped outside the centre after clashing with police at the Durban Central police station on Tuesday.
The foreign nationals are pleading for protection and shelter after they say they were kicked out of their home.
They say anti-immigration groups intimidated and chased them out of their homes amid marches calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
“The past two nights have been so tough. As you can see, people are sleeping on the floor. They don’t have blankets; they have nothing and there isn’t any assistance for us yet," Jean Butoki of the Southern Africa Refugee Organisation Forum.
"We are ready to die for our safety. We are not scared because we are unsafe even in the communities where we stay."
Butoki said the organisation will send a delegation to meet with officials from the United Nations to seek assistance.
“As far as we know, the only organisation mandated to find the solution to the problem of refugees is the UN. We are very sure that they are aware of what is happening.
Butoki said while they have reported numerous cases if foreign nationals being attacked, police have refused to open cases and charge the alleged perpetrators.
“And it is not only those who were attacked on Thursday, so many people have been attacked, others have died. Our lives are in danger but no one is being arrested," he said.
WATCH | Refugees march to Durban police station for protection
Chairperson of the African Diaspora Global Network, Dr Vusumuzi Sibanda, expressed concern over the events that unfolded in Durban.
He said such actions are inhuman and wrong.
“It is a very sad day, that goes down in our history because you've got people that have said we want to try and avoid confrontation with the people that have been harassing, publicly beating and threshing, at them.
“And they go to the police station where they are saying all they need is protection. And then you see the police turning on them using rubber bullets and shooting them instead of trying to resolve the impulse that is there,” he said.