“Xenophobia is a serious public health issue. Violence, intimidation, and exclusion cause direct physical and psychological harm, disrupt access to healthcare, undermine disease prevention and treatment programmes, and weaken social cohesion. These impacts affect not only migrants and refugees but communities as a whole.”
This is according to Healthcare Workers for Palestine (HW4P). The statement comes ahead of a planned nationwide protest against illegal immigration, amid a surge in attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa.
HW4P has outlined its main concerns:
Misinformation fuels xenophobia: False claims about migrants’ numbers, legal status, and impact on public services—particularly healthcare—continue to spread unchecked.
Healthcare access obstructed: Organised groups have illegally blocked migrants from accessing hospitals and clinics, despite constitutional protections and a court order prohibiting such actions.
Weak law enforcement: Delays by police in enforcing court orders leave migrants and refugees vulnerable and undermine the rule of law.
Lack of clear health policies: National and provincial health departments have failed to provide clear guidance on healthcare access for migrants, creating uncertainty for healthcare workers and leaving migrants unprotected.
Risk of political scapegoating: There are growing concerns that politicians may exploit economic frustrations by blaming migrants, a pattern that has preceded previous waves of anti-immigrant violence in South Africa.
HW4P is calling for urgent government action to protect refugees and migrants from violence, combat misinformation, ensure equal access to healthcare, uphold constitutional rights, treat all people with dignity, and end the scapegoating of migrants for South Africa’s socio-economic challenges.
Photo: HW4P
