Fast Facts Migrants in SA_22 June 2026

29 June 2026 news FAST FACTS Many South Africans experience terrible hardships – but migrants are not the cause. Blaming migrants means the real problems never get fixed. MYTH 3 “Migrants are clogging up our hospitals” MYTH 4 “Migrants are collapsing the health system” MYTH 5 “Migrants are draining our social grants” 4.1% of the population 2 jobs created per immigrant employed Many avoid public services entirely R2 billion - from one hospital Less than 0.5% of grant recipients are migrants Migrants in South Africa EIGHT MYTHS AND WHAT THE DATA SHOWS The South African Census shows migrants are 2.4 million out of 58.5 million people in South Africa - just 4.1%. This includes all types of migrants – documented and undocumented. The census counts everyone present on census night regardless of legal status. Anyone missing or “hiding” is adjusted for via the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES). Stats SA Census 2022; UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) International Migrant Stock 2024; IES 2022/23 Data shows that migrants in South Africa act as net job creators rather than job displacers. A 2018 World Bank report shows that for every migrant employed, about 2 jobs are created for South Africans through business activity. This is supported by local and institutional research including the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), which confirms migrant entrepreneurs frequently hire South African workers. Many migrants have no choice but to generate their own employment - in retail, tailoring, food services and repair. Research shows they are embedded in networks that include South African workers, suppliers, landlords and wholesalers. World Bank 2018; Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) 2022 Q3; HSRC 2022 Mago, S. (2023) Migrant entrepreneurship, social integration and development in Africa Many migrants with documents use private healthcare. Many without documents avoid clinics out of fear of being reported or deported. Research shows migrants are actually less likely than South Africans to seek care even when sick. Those who do use public services pay the same fees as citizens - or more. BMC Public Health 2021; Scalabrini Centre; Stats SA QLFS 2022 Corruption and maladministration are the real problems to the health system. For example, the government’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) found that R2 billion was looted from Tembisa Hospital by government officials alone - not migrants. The Health Department Director-General was arrested in 2026 for fraud. Between 2009 - 2013, R24 billion in irregular health expenditure was recorded nationally. SIU Interim Report September 2025; IOL March 2026 By law, the only migrants who can access grants are permanent residents and refugees. Of 13.2 million Child Support Grant recipients in 2024, only 57,715 were non-SA-born children. Of 165,000 Care Dependency Grant recipients, just 657 were non-SA-born. Most migrants cannot access grants even if they wanted to. SASSA data 2024; Social Assistance Act 2004; Stats SA Census 2022 4.1% MYTH 1 “Millions of illegal immigrants are flooding the country” MYTH 2 “Migrants are stealing our jobs” FACT FACT FACT FACT FACT <5% MYTH 6 “Migrants are causing unemployment” MYTH 7 “Undocumented migrants are in SA illegally- by choice” MYTH 8 “More deportations will fix things” 32.4% unemployment — a structural crisis Home Affairs is broken for everyone 109 000+ deported — nothing changed EIGHT MYTHS AND WHAT THE DATA SHOWS Unemployment comes from failing schools, load-shedding, low investment, and apartheid’s legacy - not migration - as confirmed by data from the World Bank. The World Bank says migration is not the cause. Meanwhile, 8.1 million South Africans moving between provinces put far more pressure on services – because systems don’t sufficient plan for people moving - than all international migrants combined. World Bank 2025; Stats SA Census 2022; QLFS 2022 Q3 Many migrants were legally documented before their permits expired and renewals stalled – sometimes for years. Around 13% of South African citizens also lack adequate ID, for the same reasons: backlogs, corruption, and system failure. Undocumented does not mean unwilling to be documented. It often means being failed by the same broken system that fails millions of South Africans too. Stats SA Census 2022; civil society submissions to the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (2026) Government deported over 109 000 people between 2024-2026. Migration continues at the same rate. Research across multiple countries consistently shows that enforcement- only approaches do not reduce migration – they push it underground, make journeys more dangerous, and create conditions for exploitation and trafficking. South Africa spent over R73 million on detention alone in 2024/25. The evidence is clear: functional humane systems reduce harm and costs. Harsher enforcement of broken ones does neither. IOM World Migration Report 2022; Castles, Ethnic and Racial Studies (2004); DHA Annual Report 2024/25 Reporting incidents of Xenophobia and Fact checking claims: REPORTING XENOPHOBIA • Report incidents of xenophobia immediately to your local police station or call 10111 – it is SAPS’s duty to assist. • Lodge a human rights complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission office in your province see https://www. sahrc.org.za/lodge-complaints 011 877 3600 • Remember to write down all the details including Location of the incident: Township/Village/City, Street name; Date & Time of incident; Short description of the incident, and names and/or descriptions of people involved • You can ensure that the incident is included in a research tracker by sending information of xenophobic incidents to Xenowatch via to +27 (0) 63 839 0124 with the details above. • Report biased or xenophobic journalism to the Press Council of SA at https://presscouncilsa.org.za/complaints/ FACT CHECKING • If you come across something that you think is misinformation alert Whats Crap ( ) on +27 82 709 3527 They will fact check such things FACT FACT FACT Many South Africans get trapped in a cycle of xenophobia and blaming. This cycle can be broken by challenging misinformation, inclusive action and keeping government accountable to the Constitution, its international obligations and human rights. Economic hardship Blame outsiders Violence or exclusion Nothing improves Nothing improves “South Africa belongs to all who live in it,” – The Freedom Charter and the South African Constitution Compiled by Dr Rebecca Walker for Collective Voices for Health Access “Fast Facts: Migrants in South Africa Fact Sheet 22 June 2026 THE CYCLE OF XENOPHOBIA AND SCAPEGOATING