Xenophobia: Nigerian govt to repatriate willing citizens from South Africa

The Federal government says it has begun plans to repatriate over 1,000 Nigerian citizens from South Africa over the surge in xenophobic attacks in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this on Friday in a statement by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa.

Ebienfa stated that screening for a voluntary repatriation programme began on Thursday, with authorities expecting over 1,000 Nigerians to participate.

He also disclosed that the final number of those seeking to return home had not yet been determined but noted that the figure was expected to exceed 1,000.

“The total figure is not out yet. But we are expecting over 1,000 people,” he said.

DAILY POST reports that this comes after a similar action by Ghana, which recently repatriated hundreds of its nationals from South Africa amid increasing fears over protests and violence directed at foreign nationals.

South Africa, until recently the continent’s most industrialised economy, has long attracted workers from across the region.

But saddled with an unemployment rate of over 30 per cent, it has seen repeated spurts of xenophobic protests, including renewed violence in recent weeks.

The latest tensions have revived uncomfortable debates across Africa about xenophobia, migration and the gap between pan-African rhetoric and realities facing migration on the continent.