First group of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa arrive in Lagos

A first group of 262 Nigerians who were repatriated from South Africa amid an uptick in anti-immigrant protests and attacks in that country, arrived in Lagos on Thursday morning.

Anti-foreigner violence across the country has seen gangs armed with sticks, whips, and shields marching in cities demanding that people with no residency papers leave by 30 June.

Foreign nationals have reported being intimidated and beaten by mobs going door to door, families have been forced from their homes, and many have left in the face of the threats.

Ghana, Mozambique, and Malawi have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens in recent weeks.

South Africa hosts more than three million foreigners, just over five per cent of its population, but unemployment exceeds 30 per cent, fuelling anger toward migrant workers.

The chartered Air Peace plane, carrying mostly women and children, landed at Lagos' Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

Many of the returnees were wearing sweaters and thick coats, a reminder of the southern hemisphere winter in South Africa, walked off the plane into the scorching Nigerian sun.

"South Africa is a wicked country," said one of them, 45-year-old Emilia Godwin, who has lived in South Africa for 11 years, cooking and selling Nigerian food.

"They like eating our food, but they don't like us," she said, adding that she had left all her possessions, coming back home with just a 23-kilogramme bag.

"Even when you apply to have your residence permit, they will use the opportunity to arrest you," she said.

South Africa, while condemning violence against foreigners, say many of the returnees were in the country illegally.

Officials said they had so far processed 586 Nigerian nationals for repatriation, all of whom did not have the correct documentation, with police citing expired passports and visas.

"All affected individuals have been declared undesirable persons and are consequently prohibited from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years," the South African government said.

That was the case for Millie, 28, a mother of three who went with her father to South Africa at age six, and had not returned until now.

She said school teachers "are very biased towards" children who are not South African and now feels “free, but at the same time I don't know what to expect".

Another returnee, Justin Chukwu, said however that he had been living in South Africa legally for nearly 30 years.

He had already left his home when he was told about a shooting that killed 12 people early this week at an informal settlement in Johannesburg's Cleveland, where he lived.

"These guys ... are unstoppable. You cannot stop them, police cannot go to them," said Chukwu, who sells second-hand clothes.

He left behind his children, born to a South African mother.

Nigerian officials said around 1,000 people in total have said they want to leave South Africa, with a second group due to be flown out on 15 June.

The government has promised each returnee $730.

"We have Nigerians that are doing genuine business in South Africa. They have been frustrated. Now some have abandoned their businesses to return to the country,” said foreign ministry spokesperson, Kibiebi Ebienfa.

“It's not a good development, but we are considering different options. If the situation escalates, definitely necessary reciprocity will be activated," he said.

South Africa has long been a destination for both legal and undocumented African workers.

It has faced waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when dozens of migrants were killed and thousands forced to flee their homes.

The latest unrest comes as political parties in South Africa gear up for local government elections in November.