Displaced migrants affected by xenophobic violence in South Africa’s Western Cape Province began leaving the region by bus on Thursday.
The foreign nationals were forced from their homes following attacks that erupted less than a week ago in the Southern Cape area.
Authorities transported one group housed in Kleinmond, while another group accommodated at a centre in Stanford awaited transfer as part of ongoing return procedures.
READ ALSO:South Africa Pledges $2.5 million For DRC Ebola
According to the Border Management Authority, nearly 600 Mozambicans fled Mossel Bay and returned to their home country in the days following the violence.
Nearly a week after the incidents, about 100 foreign nationals from Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe remained sheltered in a community hall in Mossel Bay, where they were being protected by police.
Several South Africans from Limpopo Province also sought refuge at the facility, expressing fears they could be targeted because they are not Xhosa.
Local authorities conducted registration and processing exercises at the site, including fingerprinting and administrative checks. Families, including women and children, were among those staying in the displacement centres.
Officials have not disclosed the total number of people affected by the attacks or provided detailed information on relocation and repatriation arrangements.
