Nigeria set to evacuate citizens from South Africa amid anti-immigration violence
Abuja: The Nigerian government has finalised arrangements to evacuate the first batch of its citizens from South Africa following reports of attacks on foreign nationals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the ministry, said that the evacuees will depart from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday night and are expected to arrive in Lagos early Thursday. The exact number of people in the first batch was not disclosed, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ebienfa said the Nigerian government will fully fund the evacuation, with no cost to the returnees. Relevant ministries, departments and agencies have also made arrangements to receive and support the evacuees upon arrival.
“Upon arrival, the evacuees will undergo documentation and profiling and will receive necessary assistance before being reunited with their families,” he said.
South Africa has recently witnessed a wave of anti-immigration demonstrations, with organizers citing high domestic unemployment, rising crime rates and pressure on public infrastructure as primary concerns.
Some anti-immigration groups have set June 30 as a deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country and threatened nationwide protests if their demands are not met.
The situation has raised concerns across Africa, with several countries reportedly expressing their concerns to the South African government through diplomatic channels.
Last month, the Ghanaian government has evacuated 300 citizens from South Africa amid concerns over xenophobic attacks.
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who received them at the airport, said the group included 26 citizens who had been imprisoned in South Africa for visa-related offences.
Earlier in May, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged both citizens and foreign nationals to respect the rule of law as the government intensified efforts to address illegal migration.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa condemned recent violent protests and criminal acts targeting foreign nationals in parts of the country, saying such actions did not reflect the views of South Africans or government policy.
“These are the acts of opportunists who are exploiting the legitimate grievances, particularly those of the poor, under the false guise of ‘community activism’,” he said.
The development came after Ghana requested that the African Union debate what it described as “xenophobic attacks” against African nationals in South Africa during the upcoming African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit in June.