Nigeria has become the latest African state to repatriate some of its citizens living in South Africa after a rise in anti‑migrant sentiment. A flight carrying 268 Nigerians landed in Lagos on Thursday after departing Johannesburg, according to the Nigerian consulate in South Africa, which said roughly 1,000 people had registered for evacuation.
The move follows similar actions by Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi, which have already staged evacuations amid a 30 June deadline set by migration‑rights groups for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Migrants from across the continent arrived in South Africa after the end of white‑minority rule in 1994, hoping for a better life. Yet unemployment exceeds 30 % and xenophobic protests have grown, with reports of attacks on foreigners in major cities.
John “Justin” Okafor, a Nigerian passenger, said he had lived in South Africa since 1998 but left after being attacked in a taxi and targeted by xenophobic mobs. “They call us names and say we must leave this country,” he told the BBC. He added, “Because of how they are killing people and putting us at risk, we are not safe.”
Official death figures for xenophobic violence are unclear, but police cited the killing of two Mozambican men in the Western Cape earlier this month. Mozambican authorities claim many Mobambican citizens have been murdered because of xenophobia.
Nigerian Consul General Ninikanwa Okey‑Uche told the BBC that migrants make up less than 10 % of South Africa’s population and cannot be blamed for the nation’s challenges in education, health, policing or unemployment. She stressed the need for South African authorities to combat the spread of anti‑foreigner sentiment and xenophobic attacks.
These tensions come as South Africa prepares for local government elections in November, with some analysts saying migration will become a central campaign issue.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a televised address, announced new measures to curb illegal migration, including jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, creating dedicated courts for deportations and a national biometric database to fight identity theft. He warned against vigilantism, urging citizens not to target suspected migrants.
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