Imagine being stopped by the police because of how you speak, being questioned about your nationality because of your appearance, or being treated as suspicious simply because you speak a language associated with another country. For some foreign nationals in South Africa, these experiences raise an important question: when does a legitimate police investigation become discriminatory policing? Police officers have a responsibility to enforce the law and investigate suspected offences....

An immigration-related arrest in South Africa can have consequences that extend far beyond the person taken into custody. A spouse may suddenly lose contact with their partner, children may be left without a caregiver, and relatives may struggle to find out where a detained family member has been taken. For foreign nationals, these situations can be particularly distressing when family members have different immigration statuses, when important documents are unavailable, or when deportation...

Being stopped at a roadblock is a common experience for motorists in South Africa. Police officers may conduct checks relating to road safety, vehicle compliance, outstanding offences or other lawful enforcement matters. For foreign nationals, however, a routine stop can become more serious when officials ask about immigration status. A request to produce documents may lead to further questioning, custody for verification or, in some circumstances, detention pending deportation. But what...