Anti-migrant protests turned violent in Soweto, Johannesburg, and Durban on Thursday, with dozens of cars set ablaze and foreign-run businesses forced to close, according to police.

Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane said 10 vehicles were torched in Johannesburg and 14 in Durban, where three people were arrested. The protesters oppose a July Constitutional Court decision that removes procedural barriers to seeking asylum, including for people who entered South Africa irregularly. Government spokesperson William Baloyi attributed the violence to deliberately false information about the ruling and said it does not automatically grant refuge, permanent residence or rights to undocumented migrants.