Sound relations with foreign nationals living in South Africa will help police gather intelligence, solve cases and prevent violence.

According to the most recent Statistics South Africa census, 3.9% of the population is foreign-born. Despite making up such a small share of the country’s people, foreign nationals disproportionately fall victim to many serious crimes.

A 2015 South African Police Service docket analysis, for example, found that nearly half (47.6%) of business robbery victims nationally were foreign nationals. In North West province, the percentage was as high as 77%. Foreign nationals are also disproportionately affected by public violence, kidnappings and township extortion.

Beneath these challenges lies a fractured relationship between police and many foreign national communities. Some accuse the government of state-sanctioned xenophobia, which sees officials and institutions, including the police, perpetuate bias and endorse abuse. Many foreign nationals report mistreatment, threats, extortion and neglect by state actors. Foreign nationals also tend not to join community policing structures, so lack opportunities to familiarise themselves with police.

Studies show that when people fear or distrust police, they are disincentivised to report crimes, share information or seek protection. This hampers investigations and allows offenders to operate with impunity. South African public safety agencies, such as the police, would benefit from strategies to improve trust and collaboration with foreign national communities.

Many crimes that have traditionally affected foreign nationals have also come to pose a threat to other members of the public. For example, extortion rackets now also target South African residents and government staff, and undermine local economies and basic service delivery.

Research shows that deploying strategies aimed at building trust with marginal groups can strengthen the police’s ability to tackle crime for the benefit of all. In the case of foreign nationals, these strategies require measures to overcome language barriers, cultural misunderstandings and historical distrust.

For example, a 2024 United States police research survey found that deploying community liaison officers to foreign national neighbourhoods helped build meaningful relationships. The officers formed part of specialised units who walked the streets, talking to business owners and residents, and hearing their concerns. This improved relationships and trust, and increased crime reporting by foreign nationals.

The United Kingdom (UK) College of Policing’s national guidelines on neighbourhood policing state that: ‘Community engagement should be broadly representative and look to involve people from marginal groups.’ It recommends that police proactively include such groups in neighbourhood policing by addressing language barriers and taking into account the needs and preferences of different communities.

Another promising strategy is the practice of secondary reassurance contact, where officers follow up with victims separately from the investigation. This can secure victims’ trust by providing reassurance that police take their cases seriously. A 2025 randomised control trial in the UK found that victim withdrawal from hate crime cases dropped by 12-15% as a result of the strategy. The practice of checking in with victims required minimal resources but had measurable effects.

The practice of procedural justice is also effective at building trust. This involves showing respect, care and fairness to individuals or groups during the course of police interactions. A 2021 study in Australia – where over 30% of the population is foreign-born – showed that the approach helped to foster stronger group identification among foreign nationals with both police and the country.

At the same time, research shows that when police don’t apply procedural justice in their interactions with foreign nationals, they not only erode police and government legitimacy but can also compromise investigations.

In particular, racial or citizenship profiling engenders feelings of unfair treatment and lower levels of trust. A 2020 study carried out in El Paso County, Texas, found that being stopped, searched and questioned about one’s citizenship status decreased the chances of an individual cooperating with police during an investigation by 62%.

This should be of concern to police in South Africa, who often carry out high-density operations in neighbourhoods where foreign nationals live or operate businesses. Foreign nationals frequently accuse police and other law enforcement officers involved in these operations of misconduct and abuse.

To better investigate and combat crime for all, South African police should use evidence-based approaches to develop strategies that build trust among foreign national communities. Similar methods could be applied in relation to other marginalised and excluded groups.

This is not only a rights obligation – it is a strategic investment in collective public safety. By deliberately removing barriers to engagement, police can build credibility and trust among foreign nationals, encouraging crime reporting and the sharing of critical information.

Such measures require supportive public sentiment and political leadership for the principle of inclusion. This would enable officers to make better strategic decisions and solve more cases, and in turn make South Africa safer.

Written by Vanya Gastrow, Senior Researcher, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS Pretoria & Kwakhanya Max, Research Intern, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS