South Africa Police: Immigrant Extortion Rises in Gauteng, Knysna

• Foreign nationals in South Africa are experiencing routine extortion by police officers.
• Police threaten arrest and deportation in Rosettenville and Knysna unless bribes are paid.
• Civil society organizations, including Lawyers for Human Rights, have documented these abuses since 2015.
• A 2023 report by Lawyers for Human Rights confirmed pervasive bribe solicitation as a condition for release for all 41 interviewees.
• An LHR expert stated that foreign nationals have become a "lucrative business" for law enforcement.

Foreign nationals have become a lucrative business for all law enforcement.

Foreign nationals residing and working in South Africa are increasingly subjected to demands for payment by police officers, a practice that has reportedly become routine. Recent investigations by Viewfinder have brought to light accounts from two distinct groups of migrants detailing these coercive encounters. In Rosettenville, Gauteng, shopkeepers and hairdressers of foreign origin describe how law enforcement officials frequently visit their businesses, issuing threats of arrest and deportation unless significant sums of money are handed over.

A similar pattern of abuse is reported in Knysna, Western Cape, where foreign individuals engaged in low-wage employment face shakedowns during their daily commutes. Police officers are said to intercept their transportation routes to and from work, demanding payments under the same duress of potential arrest and removal from the country. Both groups of interviewees indicated a substantial rise in such targeted actions by police during 2026, signaling an intensifying environment of pressure and financial exploitation.

The reported increase in police shakedowns against foreign nationals is not an isolated phenomenon but rather a continuation of a long-standing issue that civil society organizations have highlighted for nearly a decade. Since at least 2015, groups such as Corruption Watch and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) have consistently voiced concerns regarding the abuse of authority by both police and Home Affairs officials against migrants, specifically to extort bribes. These organizations have documented numerous instances where officials leverage their power to solicit payments, ranging from small sums to substantial amounts.

Lawyers for Human Rights has, in recent years, published several reports detailing these pervasive practices. A notable 2023 LHR report, based on interviews with 41 individuals, found that every single person confirmed the "pervasive solicitation of bribes" as an explicit condition for their release from custody or other official processes. This consistent testimony underscores a deeply entrenched system where foreign nationals are routinely compelled to pay to avoid legal repercussions, regardless of their actual legal status or any alleged wrongdoing.

The current climate of heightened anti-immigrant sentiment and increased crackdowns across South Africa appears to have created fertile ground for law enforcement officials to exploit vulnerable foreign nationals for financial gain. Sharon Ekambaram, who leads the Refugee and Migrant Rights programme at Lawyers for Human Rights, recently articulated this grim reality, stating that "Foreign nationals have become a lucrative business for all law enforcement." This perspective suggests that the systemic nature of the problem extends beyond individual rogue officers, pointing to a broader environment where migrants are viewed as a source of illicit income.

The consistent reports from various regions, including Gauteng and the Western Cape, and the long history of warnings from human rights advocates, paint a clear picture of a widespread and institutionalized problem. The threats of arrest and deportation, combined with the often precarious legal status of many foreign nationals, create immense pressure, making them susceptible targets for corrupt officials. This situation not only undermines the rule of law but also severely impacts the safety and human rights of a significant portion of the population.

This article highlights a pervasive issue of police and Home Affairs officials extorting bribes from foreign nationals in South Africa. Lawyers representing foreign nationals or human rights organizations should be aware of these systemic abuses to better advise clients on their rights, prepare for potential encounters with law enforcement, and gather evidence for litigation or advocacy against such practices. It underscores a significant compliance risk for individuals and potentially for businesses employing foreign workers, necessitating proactive measures to protect rights and report abuses.

Source: Original reporting via Viewfinder