Another 271 Evacuated Nigerians Return From South Africa

Another batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived in Lagos as the Federal Government continues its voluntary repatriation programme for citizens choosing to return home.

The latest group of about 271 Nigerians arrived aboard an Air Peace flight, which landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday after departing Johannesburg at approximately 5:00 a.m. local time.

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) were at the airport to receive the returnees.

The evacuation exercise forms part of the Federal Government’s response to the growing anti-immigration tensions in South Africa, where many Nigerians have voluntarily opted to return home.

The repatriation comes amid heightened uncertainty following the June 30 deadline declared by vigilante groups and other organisations calling for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.

President Bola Tinubu approved the voluntary evacuation initiative earlier this month to ensure that Nigerians willing to return could do so safely.

Earlier in June, the Federal Government announced that five Air Peace evacuation flights had been approved after more than 500 Nigerians were screened for repatriation. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flights were arranged to safely evacuate all registered Nigerians who indicated interest in returning home.

Before Tuesday’s arrival, 328 Nigerians had already been brought back to the country in two separate batches. The first evacuation flight landed on June 11 with 262 returnees, while another 66 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on June 25.

The evacuation programme is being coordinated by the Federal Government in collaboration with Air Peace and other relevant agencies.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in South Africa remained tense as anti-immigration protests commenced.

In Johannesburg, many businesses remained closed, while police officers maintained a heavy presence across the city as residents made their way to work.

The demonstrations were organised by a coalition of smaller political parties and citizen-led vigilante groups, which analysts say appeared to be well organised and adequately resourced.

In the southeastern city of Durban, groups of protesters dressed in traditional Zulu attire gathered in a public park carrying sticks and shields while chanting “abahambe,” meaning “Let them go,” as security personnel monitored the situation.