Amid a resurgence of violent anti-immigrant demonstrations in South Africa, Nigeria has launched a voluntary repatriation program to bring home more than 100 of its citizens stranded in the Southern African nation, the country’s top foreign affairs official confirmed Monday.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu announced the initiative after summoning South Africa’s acting high commissioner to Abuja to deliver the Nigerian government’s formal statement of deep concern over the recent unrest. She told reporters that 130 Nigerians have already registered to return, with additional people expected to join the voluntary repatriation effort in the coming days.
The renewed wave of protests targeting foreign migrants in South Africa, which unfolded last week, has not resulted in any Nigerian fatalities, according to the foreign minister. For years, migrants in South Africa have faced recurrent xenophobic hostility, with scapegoating rooted in the country’s persistent high unemployment rate, where locals often blame immigrant workers for taking scarce formal jobs.
South African authorities have already taken public steps to address the unrest, formally denouncing the violent attacks and pledging strict enforcement against all xenophobic criminal acts. In a separate diplomatic move, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola held a bilateral phone call with Odumegwu-Ojukwu to discuss the broader tensions around irregular migration. The two officials agreed to collaborate on unpacking the root causes of the unrest and advancing mutually acceptable solutions to the ongoing challenges.
Beyond the recent anti-immigration protests, the Nigerian government has also raised urgent concerns over two separate fatal incidents from last month that claimed the lives of two Nigerian citizens at the hands of South African security operatives. Following Monday’s diplomatic meeting, Nigerian foreign ministry spokesperson stated that Abuja has formally requested a full, transparent investigation into the two deaths and is seeking cooperative action from South African authorities to share autopsy reports with the victims’ next of kin.