In a notable development making headlines this week, thousands of migrants shelter in a Durban park after being driven from their homes ahead of a June 30 expulsion ultimatum. More than 3,000 Malawians, such as hundreds of children, are staying in an open field in South Africa ’ s port city of Durban, after fleeing what they described as escalating anti-immigrant threats and attacks.

Background and Context

This situation has been building for some time, shaped by a series of interconnected events.

For weeks, groups armed with sticks, whips and shields have marched through parts of the country demanding that foreigners with no papers leave by June 30.

Our children can get sick. ” Sayiba John, 33, a Malawian who fled Nazareth township with her husband and three children, told the AFP news agency her daughter, a Grade 2 pupil, was driven to abandon her exams.

According to those with knowledge of the situation, “ It ’ s better our government take us away from here than to face the anger of the South Africans. ” Ellen Mwamulima, a 45-year-old widow, mother of three and former domestic worker in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, fled a mob who nearly caught up with her and had to hide out in the bush for two weeks.

Political Implications

The depth of the response underscores how closely this situation is being watched.

When the party called on supporters to march against undocumented migrants, thousands responded.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter indicate that demonstrators accuse foreign nationals of taking jobs and economic opportunities from South Africans.

Observers have also noted that “ There are undocumented foreigners working everywhere in our business field, ” Mythobisi Sabelo, one of the protesters, told Al Jazeera in Durban.

What This Means for Americans

What this means for Americans — and for the country as a whole — is becoming clearer.

It ’ s becoming an issue. ” But while demonstrators blame foreigners for South Africa ’ s economic and social issues, others argue that foreigners, particularly those from elsewhere in Africa, are being wrongly blamed.

It has also emerged that about 150 further migrants from Burundi, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe are sheltering at a government office not far from the Durban park.

Significantly, south Africa has faced recurring waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when dozens of migrants were killed and thousands displaced.

In what observers are describing as a key detail, a number of three million foreigners – about 5 percent of the population, more than 63 percent of them from within the Southern African Development Community ( SADC) bloc – live in the country.

Against this backdrop, the latest flare-up comes as political parties campaign ahead of local government elections in November.

What Comes Next

This story will continue to develop. Observers, policymakers, and citizens will all be watching what happens next in a situation that has already proven to be significant in multiple respects.