South Africa imposes five‑year travel ban on 268 Nigerian returnees for illegal stay.

… Says all 268 were undocumented
By Nkiruka Nnorom

The South African government has imposed a five‑year travel ban on 268 Nigerians who were cleared for repatriation after being declared illegal residents.

Shortly before their departure from OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, the Department of Home Affairs announced that all 268 would be declared “undesirable” and barred from re‑entering the country for five years under the Immigration Act.

Head of Immigration Enforcement Stephen van Neel confirmed the decision as buses transported the group to the airport for a chartered flight scheduled to leave after midnight.

Speaking to the local channel Newzroom Afrika at the airport, van Neel said another batch of cleared evacuees would depart on Monday, June 15.

He noted that about 1,000 Nigerians had registered for repatriation, 500 had been cleared, and the 268 who left first were all undocumented.

“None of the 268 Nigerian nationals who arrived at OR Tambo International Airport for repatriation on Wednesday are in South Africa legally. Not a single person of the 268 is legal,” he said.

Van Neel explained that checks against Home Affairs’ system and interviews confirmed their illegal status, and that the Nigerian Embassy had to issue emergency travel documents for the process.

“If a visitor’s passport or visa has expired, it is no longer a valid document, and the visitor is residing in the country illegally,” he added.

He also said one‑on‑one interviews were conducted to identify issues such as custody battles that could lead to wrongful repatriation of children.

Six buses, according to the channel, carried the group to the airport, where police and immigration officials checked documents before clearing passengers for departure.

Countries including Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have already carried out similar repatriations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new measures to tackle illegal immigration on Sunday but warned against xenophobia, racism and vigilantism.

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