Over 1,000 Nigerians await evacuation from South Africa following attacks

By Peter Effiom

As the impact of xenophobic attacks on foreigners and growing concerns about insecurity intensify, Nigeria has started screening over a thousand of its people in South Africa before repatriation flights.

Following a surge of violent, anti-foreigner demonstrations and xenophobic attacks, more than 1,000 Nigerians have registered for voluntary evacuation from South Africa.

In places like KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria, the attacks target foreign-owned companies and migrants.

To clear persons for safe departure, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with South African authorities on a combined screening and verification process.

In order to confirm identities and make sure that returnees have no outstanding criminal charges, representatives from the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Police Service, and the Nigerian Foreign Ministry participate in the joint screening.

The number of individuals seeking repatriation has increased from 130 to at least 1,094 in the last month due to the dramatic escalation of the crisis.

For accepted applications, South African officials have agreed to suspend immigration penalties like overstay fines and incarceration, enabling people with expired documents to depart without facing consequences.

Logistics are being finalized by the Nigerian Consulate and High Commission. Soon, the first flights are planned to evacuate the first groups of residents who have been inspected.

Out of the approximately 800 individuals who registered for evacuation, Ghana has repatriated about 300 of its residents from South Africa.

Among the foreigners most frequently targeted are Nigerians, Ghanaians, and Mozambicans. Nigeria has denounced acts of violence against its people in South Africa, including the deaths of two residents who were allegedly attacked by security personnel.

The Mamelodi Concerned Residents and “March and March,” two anti-immigration organizations and activists in South Africa, have issued an ultimatum calling for the expulsion of foreign nationals from the nation by June 30. These organizations claim that foreigners are stealing local employment, committing crimes, and taxing public resources.