Nigeria Evacuates Citizens from South Africa Amid Rising Xenophobia

Nigeria has begun repatriating its citizens from South Africa after a wave of anti‑migrant attacks swept Johannesburg and other cities. A flight carrying 268 Nigerians landed in Lagos Sunday morning, following the consulate’s announcement that around 1,000 people had registered for evacuation.

The repatriation comes after Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi also moved their nationals out before a June 30 deadline set by migrant‑rights campaigners. Migrants in South Africa have cited high unemployment (over 30%) and xenophobic protests as key triggers for their departure.

'I’m leaving because of the conditions they’ve given us here,' said Justin, a Nigerian who has lived in South Africa since 1998. He noted that he had been attacked in a taxi and that insults and threats were a daily reality.

'I was personally attacked in my business premises. The police helped me,' said Chinwe Osuala, a hairdresser who returned after experiencing violence against her family.

The Nigerian Diaspora Commission’s Abike Dabiri‑Erewa said emergency management would transport returnees to destinations across Nigeria’s 36 states and provide basic assistance such as mobile‑phone credit and over 100,000 naira (~$73).

South African officials have declared that migrants constitute less than 10% of the population and are scapegoated for systemic problems such as unemployment and strained public services. The South African Border Management Agency confirmed that none of the passengers on the flight had legal documents to stay in the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a crackdown on illegal migration: jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, setting up dedicated courts, and creating a biometric database to prevent identity theft. He also warned citizens not to take the law into their own hands.

With local government elections looming in November and migration becoming a key political issue, anti‑migrant sentiments continue to rise, raising questions about the safety of foreign nationals throughout the region.