Eighty-three Nigerians have returned to Lagos from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants in parts of the country.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the group was accompanied by two officials from the Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg.
Ebienfa reiterated that the “repatriation exercise of this batch of returnees was facilitated through the procurement of flight tickets by good-spirited private individuals, whose generous support enabled their safe return to Nigeria.”
The returnees were received on behalf of the Federal Government by the Director of the African Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe.
Following their arrival, they were handed over to relevant government agencies for documentation and profiling before being reunited with their families.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the welfare of Nigerians living abroad and supporting citizens who wish to return home safely.
The ministry also expressed appreciation to the Nigerian diplomatic mission in South Africa, the private individuals who supported the repatriation and the government agencies involved in receiving and assisting the returnees.
South Africa has remained a major destination for migrants from across the continent, but the country has experienced repeated incidents of anti-migrant violence for nearly two decades.
Tensions have intensified this year following actions by vigilante groups that reportedly ordered undocumented foreigners to leave the country by June 30.
According to an AFP tally based on figures supplied by African countries that have repatriated their citizens, more than 176,000 people have left South Africa in recent weeks.
South African police have reported that at least four migrants have been killed in the violence, although some foreign governments have given higher estimates.
Ghana has strongly criticised the attacks and called for the African Union to discuss the issue of anti-migrant violence at its next summit early next year.
Nigeria has also raised concerns over repeated attacks against its citizens in South Africa and has pushed for the issue to be considered by the African Union.
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