A wave of xenophobic violence in Durban, South Africa, has forced many African migrants, including long-term residents, to flee their homes and businesses.Among them is Princess Adjei, a 33-year-old Ghanaian-born woman who moved to South Africa as a child and built her life in Durban.She ran a hair salon downtown, having lived in the country for most of her life, attended local schools, and spoken Zulu.

However, during an anti-migrant protest in May, demonstrators looted her salon, destroying equipment and inventory worth thousands of dollars and leaving her without income.

Unable to pay rent, Adjei and her teenage son now sleep on the street alongside hundreds of other displaced migrants outside a government office, hoping for assistance with residency verification and protection.

The unrest, linked to an anti-immigration movement known as March and March, has led to widespread displacement and at least five deaths, according to reports.

The group denies responsibility for violence, claiming it only protests illegal immigration, but many migrants and observers say protests often coincide with looting and attacks on foreign nationals.Some migrants report being moved between shelters and then expelled, with limited police protection.Others describe being chased away or dispersed using tear gas and rubber-coated projectiles.

Authorities and political leaders in KwaZulu-Natal acknowledge tensions over migration but differ on causes, with some blaming illegal immigration rather than xenophobia.

Migrants, many of whom have lived in South Africa since childhood, describe feeling increasingly unsafe and targeted despite long-standing community ties.

As tensions escalate, a deadline issued by protest organizers for undocumented migrants to leave the country has deepened fear among affected communities.