Nigeria Evacuates Citizens from South Africa Amid Rising Xenophobia

Sat Jun 13 2026 12:50:06 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Nigeria repatriates 268 citizens after anti‑migrant sentiment escalates, following similar moves by Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Nigeria has flown out more than 260 citizens from Johannesburg to Lagos after reports of escalating xenophobic attacks in South Africa. The repatriation, part of a wider pattern of evacuations across South Africa, follows a spike in anti‑migrant rhetoric linked to unemployment and security concerns. While the Nigerian government offers limited financial aid to returnees, South Africa’s president has announced stricter anti‑immigration measures. Accountable casualties from xenophobic violence remain unreported, but the crisis has prompted urgent policy responses on both sides.

Nigeria Evacuates Citizens from South Africa Amid Rising Xenophobia

In a swift response to growing tensions, the Nigerian government has flown back 268 citizens from Johannesburg to Lagos after a flight that landed on Thursday morning. With around 1,000 Australians registered for repatriation, Nigeria joins Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi in a mass withdrawal of expatriate nationals.

“I’m leaving because the conditions have gotten worse and the government says we must leave by June 30th,” said Justin, a Nigerian who has lived in South Africa since 1998. He recalled being targeted in a taxi, forced to abandon his personal belongings, and “killed” by xenophobic mobs who shouted “leave” and used slurs.

Chinwe Osuala, a hairdresser and mother, shared that she was physically attacked at her shop and then sought police help. She commented on the fear “people cannot walk freely in the city because they’re scared of being an immigrant.”

The Nigerian Diaspora Commission’s head, Abike Dabiri‑Erewa, said the agency would transport returnees across Nigeria’s 36 states and offer more than 100,000 naira ($73) in financial assistance and mobile credit.

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced new measures to curb illegal migration, including jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, establishing special courts for expeditious deportations and launching a biometric database to curb identity theft. He also urged citizens not to take law enforcement into their own hands.

The Nigerian consul in Johannesburg, Ninikanwa Okey‑Uche, countered that migrants made up less than 10 per cent of South Africa’s population and were not responsible for systemic failures in education, health or policing. The South African Border Management Agency stated that no passengers on the repatriation flight had legal documents to stay in the country.

Although concrete death figures are still not released, police confirmed two Mozambican men were killed in Western Cape last month. Mozambique’s authorities claim the number of victims is higher.

With local government elections slated for November, migration has entered the political discourse as a rising social issue.