Nigeria Evacuates Citizens From South Africa Amid Growing Xenophobia

Sat Jun 13 2026 13:26:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Nigeria repatriates hundreds of citizens after anti‑migrant sentiment surges in South Africa, while the country tightens migration laws.

Nigeria has begun a large‑scale repatriation, sending 268 citizens on a flight back to Lagos after they were registered by the consulate for evacuation. The move follows reports of escalating xenophobic attacks and protests in South Africa, where migrants face threats and violence. Other African nations such as Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi have already staged similar evacuations ahead of a 30 June deadline pressed by civil‑society groups. In Johannesburg a pilot named Justin, a long‑time resident, spoke of targeted attacks in taxis and hostile crowds, insisting that his own safety could not be guaranteed. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced stringent anti‑illegal‑migration measures, including new courts and biometric databases, and urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands.

Nigeria Evacuates Citizens From South Africa Amid Growing Xenophobia

Nigeria has become the latest African state to send its nationals home after a sharp rise in anti‑migrant sentiment in South Africa. A plane carrying 268 Nigerians landed in Lagos on Thursday, returning the passengers who had been registered by the Nigerian consulate for evacuation.

Officials say about 1,000 Nigerians have applied to leave, and in total Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi have already carried out similar evacuations ahead of a 30 June deadline set by campaign groups calling for undocumented migrants to depart.

The background casts a stark picture: since the end of white‑minority rule in 1994 many Africans migrated to South Africa in search of better economic prospects, but an unemployment rate exceeding 30 percent has fueled anti‑migrant rage. Protest marches in major cities and reports of xenophobic attacks have made life increasingly perilous for foreign residents.

One of the repatriated passengers, Justin, who lived in Johannesburg since 1998, told reporters that he was forced to leave:

'I’m leaving because of the conditions given us here. They say we must leave on or before 30th June, and because of the way they are killing people, killing our brothers, so I’m not safe,' he insisted.

Justin reported being targeted in a taxi and losing personal belongings during an attack. He said authorities had called migrants by name and forced them to leave, escalating tensions.

Police officials have yet to publish official death figures from this wave of xenophobic violence; two Mozambican men were reportedly killed in Western Cape, but the motive remains unclear. Mozambican officials claim the death toll to be higher as more citizens were killed.

The Nigerian Consul General in South Africa, Ninikanwa Okey‑Uche, framed the issue as one of scapegoating: migrants make up less than 10 percent of the population and cannot be blamed for systemic failures in education, healthcare, policing and unemployment.

A spokesperson for South Africa’s Border Management Agency confirmed that the 268 passengers had no legal documentation to remain in South Africa. Okey‑Uche warned that delays in processing applications could produce undocumented migrants.

The South African government announced new measures on Sunday: jail employers who hire undocumented workers, set up dedicated courts to accelerate deportations and create a biometric database for every resident to curb identity theft.

Ramaphosa also cautioned against vigilantism, urging citizens not to take the law into their own hands.

The move comes ahead of local government elections in November, where migration is expected to become a central campaign issue for many parties. The country’s experience with mass repatriation echoes past actions and invites scrutiny of new migration policies.

Images: Reuters photo of a man at O.R. Tambo Airport, and a Getty image of a woman using a mobile phone against a graphic background.