Anti-migrant protests have begun in South Africa as the June 30 deadline issued by pressure group March and March for undocumented migrants to leave the country takes effect today.

Demonstrators gathered at several locations on Tuesday under heavy security, with authorities closely monitoring the situation amid fears the marches could spark violence.

Police and other security agencies have been deployed across key provinces, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, to maintain law and order and prevent a repeat of previous xenophobic attacks.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged those planning to participate in the protests to do so without “intimidation, threats or ultimatums.”

Ramaphosa has repeatedly called on demonstrators to act peacefully and responsibly while acknowledging the need for immigration reforms.

“Some foreign nationals living in South Africa are here legally,” he said in his weekly newsletter.

“They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They are also entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution.

“The right to protest and freedom of expression do not permit people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he added.

The South African government has distanced itself from the ultimatum, insisting that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of state authorities.

Many people have already left South Africa to escape violence and intimidation. South African police say about 25,000 people have been repatriated so far, most of them from other African countries.

Johannesburg, where one of the major protests was planned, was unusually quiet.

Shops in areas where demonstrators were expected to gather remained closed, while police maintained a strong presence on major streets across the city.

Police said they arrested five people in Soweto, Johannesburg’s largest township, over allegations of looting a shop owned by a foreign national.

Another five people were arrested for allegedly breaking into a tuck shop in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal.

In Durban, which has witnessed some of the largest protests, authorities have begun dismantling white tents that had been housing mostly Malawian nationals as they worked to clear the transit camp.

Many businesses in central Durban remained closed.