# Immigration experts have warned that the South African government’s response to migration tensions risks emboldening anti-migrant vigilante groups. Wits University researchers Loren Landau and Pierre Misago say some community organisations are taking the law into their own hands, targeting migrants with the alleged support of local police. The African Centre for Migration and Society says xenophobic violence has claimed 75 lives since 2022. The researchers urge the government to enforce immigration laws impartially while acting firmly against vigilante violence.
Experts warn against legitimising anti-migrant groups