S’Africa protest: 271 more evacuated Nigerians arrive today
The Federal Government has announced that another 271 Nigerians affected by the recent anti-illegal immigration protests in South Africa are expected to arrive in Lagos on Friday as the ongoing evacuation exercise continues.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, noting that the latest batch would bring the government closer to completing the evacuation of Nigerians who voluntarily registered to return home.
According to the ministry, the third evacuation flight is scheduled to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, with 271 returnees on board.
The ministry said 593 Nigerians had already been evacuated from South Africa in previous operations.
It explained that the first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight. They were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Federal Government before being handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for documentation and profiling.
The ministry added that logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, forcing some Nigerians to remain temporarily at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, where they were accommodated and cared for by the mission.
It further disclosed that a Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily sponsored the airfare of 66 stranded nationals, who returned to Lagos on June 24, while another 269 evacuees arrived on June 30 aboard the second government-arranged evacuation flight.
According to the ministry, three additional evacuation flights will be operated in the coming days to bring home about 700 more Nigerians who have voluntarily registered, been screened and cleared for evacuation.
The ministry also dismissed allegations that officials of the Nigerian Mission demanded money from intending evacuees before including them on the evacuation list.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully funded by the Federal Government and come at no cost to the returnees.
“This clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news and should be disregarded,” the statement read.
The ministry commended the cooperation of the ministries, departments and agencies involved in the exercise, describing their collaboration as instrumental to the success of the evacuation process.
“The ministry appreciates the positive coordination and collaboration with relevant MDAs in making this process a success, and we will continue to work together for the good of our country,” it stated.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians abroad, the ministry said the evacuation exercise demonstrated the priority attached to protecting citizens overseas.
“The evacuation process clearly underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It also reflects the government’s determination to ensure that Nigerians affected by crises abroad receive the necessary support, dignity and care.
“The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are doing our best as a ministry to give them a sense of belonging,” it added.
South Africa has witnessed a renewed wave of anti-illegal immigration protests and sporadic unrest in recent days, particularly in major cities and communities with large migrant populations.
The demonstrations, which began around June 30, have been driven largely by groups demanding stricter enforcement of immigration laws, accusing undocumented foreign nationals of contributing to unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
Although South African authorities insist the protests are targeted at illegal migration rather than any particular nationality, the unrest has reportedly escalated in some areas into violent confrontations and attacks on foreign-owned businesses and residences.
The latest violence has revived longstanding concerns over xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which have recurred intermittently over the past decade during periods of economic hardship and heightened political debate over migration.