At least 24 vehicles have been set on fire and foreign-owned shops looted in South Africa after anti-immigration protests turned violent in two major cities, police said. The unrest began on Thursday in Soweto, a large township outside Johannesburg, the country's biggest city, and in Durban, a major port on the east coast.

Police said 14 vehicles were torched in Durban and 10 in Soweto, near a Home Affairs office in the Orlando West neighbourhood. Firefighters tackled burning cars and police closed nearby roads. In Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal province, protesters gathered outside a government refugee reception centre and demanded it stop accepting asylum applications. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds, riot police were deployed, and businesses in the city centre shut their doors. Violence there followed allegations that a foreign national had assaulted a protester; three foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the alleged assault. In Soweto, residents had first gathered to demand the closure of small convenience stores known as spaza shops run by foreigners. Local media reported that traders were forced out of some areas, shops were attacked and a building was set alight, and gunshots were heard during confrontations. Police reported no injuries and said reinforcements had been sent. Acting national police commissioner Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane condemned the destruction, and authorities promised to prosecute those responsible.

The anger centres on a July ruling by the Constitutional Court, South Africa's highest court. It struck down restrictions that barred some people from seeking asylum because of how they entered the country or because they had missed immigration deadlines. Asylum seekers must now be allowed to submit applications even if they entered without the required documents. Hundreds gathered at refugee reception centres, which authorities say were overwhelmed, and anti-immigration campaigners say they fear the decision will encourage undocumented migration.

Government spokesman William Baloyi said false claims had been spread deliberately, creating the impression that undocumented migrants would automatically gain legal status. He stressed the ruling does not grant refugee status or permanent residence, and that applications will be assessed individually. On Friday, the Department of Home Affairs said "serious threats to public safety and order had emerged" and that it would change how it complies with the ruling, without giving details. It said the new approach would still respect the judgment, and the government has pledged to expand processing capacity and strengthen identity checks.

South Africa has a long record of xenophobic violence, often aimed at migrants from neighbouring countries. In 2008, more than 60 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced. Earlier this year, anti-immigration groups held weeks of protests demanding undocumented foreigners leave by 30 June, driving tens of thousands to flee, some via repatriation programmes organised by their governments. The tension plays out against high poverty, deep inequality and unemployment affecting roughly a third of the workforce. Migrants are often blamed for taking jobs, driving crime and straining services, though researchers say such sweeping claims are not supported by evidence. South Africa nonetheless remains one of the continent's main destinations for people seeking work and safety.