South African police raids on undocumented immigrants draw criticism from rights groups
JOHANNESBURG(AP) _ South African authorities say they have arrested about 750 immigrants staying illegally in this country, prompting rights groups to criticize the sweep for alleged violations that include preventing detainees from seeing lawyers.
The nationwide police raids at the end of April and the beginning of May followed violence against immigrants in parts of Johannesburg and Durban. The South African government says seven people died.
While South African officials condemned the violence, they have also sought to address complaints that some immigrants are living illegally in South Africa and taking opportunities that should go to South Africans.
A South Africa-based group, Lawyers for Human Rights, on Tuesday filed a court application to stop the deportation of foreigners arrested in the raids.
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Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
