SOUTH AFRICAN authorities started building a second temporary deportation centre on Thursday to process the repatriation of Malawians.

Tensions remain high in the country about immigration and xenophobic protests have fuelled tensions between locals and foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, thousands more Malawian nationals arrived at the first deportation centre, also in the city of Durban, in an area known as Sherwood, where an estimated 10,000 have been camping for more than a week, waiting to be sent home.

On Wednesday, police fired rubber bullets and used stun grenades against migrants protesting in Sherwood, who were throwing rocks, sticks and logs at police. Local media reported the clashes erupted because of frustrations over the delays in the migrants returning home.

The new site is meant to alleviate the unfolding crisis that has seen women and young children packed into the overcrowded site with thousands of men.

According to South African officials, at least 12 women have given birth at the site since Malawians started gathering there.

South African and Malawian authorities have been co-ordinating in recent weeks to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of Malawian citizens gathered at the site in Durban, as they fled the xenophobic backlash amid fears of violence.

“None of these people are legal, all of them are undocumented and illegal in this country,” South African home affairs official Cyril Mncwabe said.

He said it could take several more weeks for the 60 immigration officials at the site to process all the people there, with their numbers increasing daily.

In a statement on Thursday, the Malawian government said 560 nationals had left South Africa on Wednesday in eight buses, while another 10 buses were expected to transport 700 people to Malawi on Thursday.

Malawi is the latest among at least three African countries to facilitate the repatriation of some of their citizens from South Africa.