Government to repatriate more than 1,000 Nigerians from South Africa

Nigeria plans to repatriate more than 1,000 of its citizens from South Africa amid rising anti‑immigrant tensions in the country, a popular destination for both documented and undocumented African workers.

The decision follows Ghana’s recent repatriation of hundreds of its nationals from South Africa after a wave of protests and violence targeting foreigners.

Foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa told AFP that screening for Nigeria’s voluntary repatriation scheme began on Thursday.

“Total figure not out yet,” he said. “We are expecting over a 1,000 persons.”

A communique dated Tuesday from Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria stated that the embassy had “negotiated waivers with host authorities” so that those with “immigration‑related offences” could leave on the repatriation flights rather than be detained.

South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised economy, has long attracted workers from across the region. However, with an unemployment rate exceeding 30 percent, the country has experienced repeated spikes of xenophobic protests, including renewed violence in recent weeks.

These tensions have reignited debates across Africa about xenophobia, migration, and the gap between pan‑African rhetoric and the realities of migration on the continent.

An ultimatum from a citizen‑led group demanding the expulsion of illegal migrants by June 30 has heightened fears of violence, following past anti‑immigrant unrest that claimed dozens of lives.

The South African government says it is tightening enforcement against undocumented immigrants but urges citizens not to take matters into their own hands.

More than three million foreigners live in South Africa, representing 5.1 percent of the population, according to the statistics agency. Over 63 percent of them come from countries in the 16‑member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc.

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