South Africa's high court has ruled that camps in Gauteng province housing foreigners displaced by xenophobic violence in May can be closed.

The judge said the authorities had no obligation to reintegrate more than 4,000 African immigrants living in the camps around Johannesburg.

The government plans to close the Gauteng shelters on Friday.

Human rights groups had applied to stop the closure, saying it would violate the rights of the displaced. African goals first at G-8 summit ...
S Africa 'will protect migrants' ...

But authorities argue it is now safe for the foreigners to return to their homes.

Tens of thousands of immigrants were displaced by the violence, in which 60 people were killed.

The riots began in a township north of Johannesburg before spreading to other parts of the country.

It was the worst bloodshed in the county since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Those attacked in May were blamed for fuelling high unemployment and crime.

Twenty-one South Africans, mistaken by gangs for foreigners, were among those killed.

(BBC)

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