Nigeria confirms it will repatriate more than 1,000 of its citizens from South Africa as reports of anti-migrant sentiment and xenophobic violence increase. Multiple outlets say the planned programme follows recent protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, where many people from across Africa live and work, including Nigerians. Nigeria and other governments are described as responding to safety concerns by arranging charter flights to bring citizens home.
Several reports state Nigeria will begin the repatriation effort this week, with coverage focusing on the first flight. Times of India and France 24 report that the first group of Nigerians returns home after violent anti-immigration protests, with chartered flights bringing back an initial group of 262 people. Other sources describe Nigeria’s ongoing planning for multiple repatriation flights, rather than a single evacuation.
Overall, the accounts agree that Nigeria’s government is coordinating the return of its nationals and that the initiative is linked to concerns about the safety of foreign nationals in South Africa following recent unrest.
