More Than 1,000 Nigerians to Return Home as Xenophobic Tensions Escalate in South Africa
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
More than 1,000 Nigerians living in South Africa have applied for voluntary repatriation amid escalating xenophobic attacks and growing anti-immigrant sentiment, raising fresh concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in Africa’s most industrialised economy.Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that 1,094 Nigerians have so far registered to return home under a government-assisted repatriation programme, marking a dramatic increase from the 130 applicants recorded when the scheme was first introduced barely a month ago.
The development comes as South Africa witnesses renewed anti-foreigner protests and violent attacks that have left several foreign nationals dead, forced hundreds to flee their homes and revived painful memories of previous waves of xenophobic violence that strained relations between Pretoria and several African countries, including Nigeria.Officials said Nigerian and South African authorities are currently conducting a joint verification exercise to determine the eligibility of applicants before evacuation arrangements are concluded.
Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, explained that the screening process would ensure that only qualified applicants benefit from the programme, while South African authorities have agreed to waive certain penalties related to immigration violations for those approved for repatriation.The sharp rise in the number of Nigerians seeking to leave South Africa underscores growing anxiety within migrant communities as hostility towards foreign nationals intensifies.For many Nigerians, the decision to return home represents the collapse of dreams built over years of migration in search of better economic opportunities.
