DURBAN - Concerns are growing over foreign nationals who've been sleeping outside Home Affairs offices in Durban.
The situation is also raising questions about access to documentation and the availability of humanitarian support, particularly for women and children.
Protests have erupted across several parts of the country.
Some Durban residents are calling on the government to do more to deal with the issue.
'It's unfair that citizens feel treated as enemies by government while some foreigners are allegedly being favoured. Both communities depend on each other, but government should better monitor and control foreign nationals. Some are involved in corruption, drug dealing, establishing fake churches, child killings, and human trafficking," one resident said.
While protests continue across parts of the country amid growing concerns over foreign nationals, the debate around immigration and safety is intensifying.
But not everyone agrees with the demonstrations.
Sandra Pretorius said the issue should not be reduced to nationality.
"I don't think that you can base it on the foreigners. To me, it's our locals. I've been robbed on the same road by local people four times in a couple of years.
"So it's not the foreigners. You can't blame one nationality and say it's the foreigners that did this, and it's the foreigners that did that. If the foreigners are hard-working people, and they're willing to go out there and work, which a lot of our people don't, they just expect things, and that's the difference.
"For somebody to flee their country to come and live in a state like this, it must be pretty bad for them."