Hundreds of South Africans protest against undocumented immigrants in Durban

Hundreds of people took to the streets of the South African city of Durban on Wednesday in a new protest against illegal immigration.

The anti-migrant group March and March had set the date of September 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave the country. The movement staged demonstrations across several provinces.

South Africa has faced an intense anti-immigration campaign over the past several months, leading to episodes of violence against foreign citizens.

Several immigrants have been killed, although the official death toll remains disputed between South African and foreign authorities.

Meanwhile, more than 200,000 people have fled the country, according to an AFP tally based on figures released by African governments that have repatriated their nationals.

Organisers of Wednesday's protests also said the marches denounced gender-based violence, after a series of femicides shocked the country.

At least 11 women were killed in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, since mid-July. The discovery of their bodies has reignited alarm over persistently high levels of violence against women in the country.

On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new measures to better protect women.