Xenophobia: Nigeria to Evacuate 83 Citizens From South Africa Amid Fresh Immigration Tensions

The Federal Government is set to evacuate 83 Nigerians from South Africa on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, as concerns continue over anti-foreigner sentiments and attacks against African migrants in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Nigerians would return to Lagos aboard South African Airways.

According to the ministry, the flight will leave Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 3:35pm local time and is expected to land at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 8:45pm.

The latest repatriation was made possible through the sponsorship of flight tickets by private individuals who stepped in to support the evacuation.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce that a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals will arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 via South African Airways,” the ministry said.

“They are expected to depart the Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 3.35pm local time to arrive Lagos at approximately 08.45pm the same day.”

The ministry expressed gratitude to the private citizens whose financial support made the evacuation possible.

“The Ministry wishes to note that this latest cohort of returnees is facilitated through the kind intervention and sponsorship of tickets by public-spirited private individuals, whose generosity the federal government acknowledges with profound gratitude,” the statement added.

The evacuation comes after the Federal Government concluded its voluntary repatriation programme, which resulted in the return of nearly 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa amid concerns over Afrophobic attacks and hostility towards foreigners.

The government said protecting Nigerians abroad remained a priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government’s Citizen Diplomacy agenda recognises Nigerians in the diaspora as important contributors to national development.

The ministry also described the private-sector support for the latest evacuation as an example of a “whole of society approach” and public-private cooperation.

It called on businesses, corporate organisations, state governments and Nigerians at home and abroad to support efforts aimed at responding to emergencies involving citizens overseas.

The Federal Government also said it would continue diplomatic engagements with South Africa and other host countries to address the underlying causes of Afrophobia and prevent violence and discrimination against Nigerians.

It said perpetrators of such acts must be held accountable.

March and March Sets New Deadline for Undocumented Foreigners

The latest Nigerian evacuation comes as South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has issued a new September 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.

The group announced the deadline during a protest in Durban held outside the Southern African Development Community summit.

March and March marched through central Durban while calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take responsibility for their citizens who are living in South Africa without legal documentation.

The organisation had previously staged nationwide protests on June 30, calling for tougher measures against undocumented migrants.

The group said its campaign would continue until the South African government addressed its demands.

BBC News Pidgin quoted March and March as saying: “We are announcing the second wave of the 30 June National Day of Action and calling on the heads of state to prepare for the massive deportation of all illegal foreigners from South Africa by 30 September, which will be the mother of all protests.”

The group also said: “South Africans must follow the law and remain the eyes and ears of the police against any illegal foreigners in the country.”

The 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government is being held in Durban and has brought together leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states.

The protest has intensified the debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens from other African countries.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, expressing concern over the treatment of African migrants.

“We are deeply ashamed that people from other countries have suffered ill-treatment and that others have been forced to leave the country because of threats of violence,” Ramaphosa said.

“We cannot preach integration at a summit like this and practise exclusion on the streets of our countries,” he added.

The June 30 protests were followed by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some locations, according to police reports cited in the original report.

March and March has continued to demand tougher government action against undocumented immigration, while several African countries have evacuated their nationals amid concerns about escalating tensions.

The group’s latest protest has brought the immigration dispute into the heart of a regional summit attended by leaders whose citizens are directly affected by the issue.

Africans Angle News