Xenophobia: Aircraft Deployment Next as Screening of Nigerians for South Africa Evacuation Ends
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Federal Government is set to move to the next phase of its emergency repatriation plan for Nigerians stranded in South Africa, with arrangements for the deployment of aircraft expected to commence immediately after the conclusion of a screening exercise ending today.
The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa in a message to journalists on a WhatsApp group, disclosed that the verification process, which began on Thursday, is being jointly conducted by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the South African Police Service and immigration authorities to determine those eligible for evacuation.
He noted that the exercise is expected to produce a definitive figure of Nigerians cleared for return, enabling authorities to finalise logistics for the airlift operation.
