Another 83 Nigerians are being brought back from South Africa as the Federal Government responds to continued concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians amid renewed anti-foreigner tensions in the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees are expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, after departing Johannesburg aboard South […]
Another 83 Nigerians are being brought back from South Africa as the Federal Government responds to continued concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians amid renewed anti-foreigner tensions in the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees are expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, after departing Johannesburg aboard South African Airways.
The flight is scheduled to leave Oliver Tambo Airport at 3:35pm local time and arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport at approximately 8:45pm the same day.
The latest evacuation follows the completion of a Federal Government voluntary repatriation programme that has already seen nearly 1,490 Nigerians return from South Africa amid reports of Afrophobic attacks and growing anti-foreigner sentiments.
The ministry said the latest batch was made possible through the intervention of private individuals who sponsored the returnees’ flight tickets, thanking them for supporting the government’s response to the situation.
The Federal Government said it remained committed to protecting Nigerians abroad and preserving their welfare and dignity, while describing Nigerians in the diaspora as important contributors to national development.
The ministry also appealed to state governments, corporate bodies, the organised private sector and philanthropists to support emergency interventions whenever Nigerians abroad require assistance.
The development comes as South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a new deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
The group made the announcement during a protest in Durban on Monday, where demonstrators marched in the city as leaders from 16 Southern African countries gathered for the 46th SADC Summit.
March and March has previously organised protests against undocumented immigration and said it would continue pushing the South African government to take tougher action against foreigners living in the country without legal documentation.
The group’s latest action has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly amid previous incidents of attacks, looting and threats targeting foreigners.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned discrimination and violence against other Africans, saying his country should not preach regional integration while practising exclusion against foreigners on its streets.
The Nigerian government said it would continue engaging South Africa and other host countries to tackle the causes of Afrophobia and prevent violence and discrimination against Nigerians.