- 262 Nigerians Evacuated From South Africa Arrive Lagos
- Returnees will undergo profiling before reuniting with families.
- More evacuation flights expected as xenophobic attacks continue.
First Batch Of Nigerians Evacuated From South Africa Arrive In Lagos Amid Xenophobic Attacks
The first batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks has arrived in Lagos.
The 262 returnees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard an evacuation flight operated by Air Peace and arranged by the Federal Government.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that he evacuation was coordinated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies as part of efforts to bring home Nigerians affected by the recent wave of violence and anti-immigrant protests in South Africa.
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and security agencies were at the airport to receive the evacuees upon arrival.
The returnees are expected to undergo documentation and profiling before being reunited with their families.
Government officials said the exercise would help properly identify the evacuees and ensure they receive the necessary support and assistance after returning to Nigeria.
The evacuation followed weeks of rising tension in South Africa, where attacks on foreign nationals and foreign-owned businesses have sparked fears among Nigerians and other African migrants living in the country.
Authorities disclosed that additional batches of Nigerians are expected to be evacuated in the coming days, although the number of citizens still awaiting repatriation and the schedule for their return have not yet been confirmed.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had earlier explained that the evacuation became necessary after violent incidents forced many Nigerians to seek urgent relocation due to safety concerns.
According to her, the Federal Government decided to repatriate affected citizens following reports of attacks targeting foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
She added that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, represented the Federal Government at the Lagos airport to receive the returnees.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu was absent from the reception because she was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she was engaged in discussions on the possible transfer of more than 100 Nigerian inmates from Ethiopian correctional facilities back to Nigeria.
The minister revealed that the affected Nigerians were being held in Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons in Addis Ababa. She also disclosed that four Nigerian inmates had died in custody due to health-related and other complications.
Meanwhile, at least five African countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi, have also evacuated their citizens from South Africa following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks.
The recurring violence against African migrants, refugees and asylum seekers has continued to attract international concern. In 2022, the United Nations warned that South Africa was “on the precipice of explosive xenophobic violence.”
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