Camps near Durban are filled with thousands of Malawian migrants waiting with their belongings as buses are prepared for long journeys home. Families stand in queues, including children, while officials check documents and volunteers distribute food and water.

The camps have formed amid rising tensions over an unofficial deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.

Authorities say more than 15,000 Malawians have been processed for repatriation, with many lacking valid papers or holding expired passports. Conditions are described as difficult, with large crowds, littered areas and limited access to services.

Security has been tightened following recent attacks on foreign nationals, while several governments across the region are organising voluntary returns.