The Department of Home Affairs has warned South Africans against spreading what it describes as false information about a Constitutional Court judgment on the processing of asylum applications, amid growing anger over immigration and long queues at Home Affairs offices.

The department said on Wednesday that it had identified what it believes is a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber and other officials over the court’s 7 July 2026 judgment in the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town matter.

Home Affairs said the matter would be referred to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for consideration under the newly published Code of Conduct on Countering Disinformation.

The department said claims that the suspension of good-cause interviews was a decision taken by the minister, Home Affairs officials or political parties were false.

“The Constitutional Court handed down a binding judgment, which the Department is constitutionally obliged to implement,” Home Affairs said.

It said an operational directive was subsequently issued to give effect to the judgment and ensure compliance with the highest court in the country.

Home Affairs also rejected claims circulating online that the judgment had granted asylum seekers South African citizenship or amounted to the blanket legalisation of foreign nationals.

“These claims are categorically false,” the department said.

The warning comes amid growing public concern about undocumented immigration, the asylum system and the ability of the state to manage people entering and remaining in South Africa.

Long queues at Home Affairs offices have added to the frustration, with images and videos of people waiting for documentation circulating widely on social media.

On Tuesday, a group of anti-immigration activists also confronted asylum seekers at a Home Affairs facility in Durban, according to reports.

The confrontation has further highlighted tensions surrounding the country’s asylum and immigration system.

Home Affairs said the spread of false information was particularly concerning because of the potential for such claims to inflame tensions and encourage violence against foreign nationals and government officials.

“The deliberate spreading of disinformation designed to inflame tensions and violence is a threat to the stability of our society,” the department said.

The Constitutional Court case involved the legal framework governing the processing of asylum applications.

Home Affairs stressed that the judgment did not give asylum seekers citizenship or automatically legalise foreign nationals.

The department said it had opposed the litigation but was constitutionally required to comply with the court’s decision after judgment was handed down.

The issue has nevertheless generated intense debate online, with some South Africans questioning why people from countries outside the African continent travel to South Africa to seek asylum.

Pakistan, for example, is more than 8,000km from South Africa, depending on the points used to calculate the distance.

Questions have also been raised about whether some people using the asylum system are genuine refugees or economic migrants.

Those concerns form part of a broader debate over the country’s immigration system, although individual claims about asylum seekers’ motives or criminal conduct cannot be treated as established facts without evidence.

Home Affairs said beneficiaries of the asylum system and other foreign nationals must be dealt with within the law and that government remains responsible for administering the country’s immigration and asylum processes.

The department also warned South Africans to verify information before sharing it, particularly when the information could encourage hostility or violence.

It said officials had increasingly faced incitement while carrying out their duties.

“Respect for binding court judgments is fundamental to the rule of law and our constitutional democracy,” Home Affairs said.

The department said it would continue implementing court judgments regardless of whether it was successful in the litigation concerned.

The controversy comes as South Africa continues to grapple with public frustration over undocumented migration, pressure on government services and concerns about the effectiveness of border and immigration controls.

Home Affairs said these concerns should not become a justification for spreading false information or undermining the constitutional order.

It called on members of the public to check information before sharing it and urged South Africans to avoid content that could incite violence.

The department said its responsibility remained to administer the country’s immigration system while complying with the Constitution and binding decisions of the courts.

The latest warning therefore places the focus on two separate but increasingly intertwined issues: South Africans’ concerns about immigration and the asylum system, and the government’s obligation to implement the law and court judgments.

Home Affairs said it would continue to address the country’s immigration challenges through lawful processes while taking action against what it described as deliberate attempts to mislead the public.