Xenophobia: 83 Nigerians to return home from South Africa Wednesday

The Federal Government has announced the evacuation of another 83 Nigerians from South Africa, with the returnees expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the returnees would travel on South African Airways from Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

According to the ministry, the flight is scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time and arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 8:45 p.m.

The ministry said the latest evacuation was made possible through the intervention of public-spirited private individuals who sponsored the returnees’ flight tickets.

It expressed appreciation to the individuals for their support in facilitating the safe return of the Nigerians.

The development comes after conclusion of the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme, which saw nearly 1,490 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa amid rising Afrophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in the country.

According to the ministry, the Federal Government remains committed to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of Nigerians at home and abroad under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

It said the government, through its Citizen Diplomacy agenda, considers Nigerians in the diaspora as critical assets for national development and remains committed to their protection and well-being. The ministry also commended private individuals and philanthropists who had supported the latest evacuation, describing their intervention as an example of the “whole of society approach” and public-private collaboration.

It called on the organised private sector, corporate organisations, state governments and other well-meaning Nigerians at home and abroad to emulate the initiative and support efforts to respond to consular emergencies.

The statement read: “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.

“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 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 ministry said further that the government would continue to deepen strategic partnerships with host countries, including South Africa, to address the root causes of Afrophobia and prevent violence and discrimination against Nigerians.

It added that such acts must be strongly condemned when they occur, with perpetrators held accountable.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community summit in Durban yesterday.

The group marched through central Durban under the theme, calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.

The group had previously led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher action against undocumented foreigners.

It also warned that it would continue its campaign until the government addressed its immigration demands.

Announcing its latest action, BBC News Pidgin yesterday noted that the group said: “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.

“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, bringing together leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states.

The protest came amid renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, with President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemning discrimination and violence against people from other African countries.

“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 accompanied by security operations and incidents involving attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.

March and March has continued to press the South African government to take tougher action against undocumented immigration, while several African countries have evacuated citizens amid tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals.

The group’s latest protest puts the immigration dispute directly outside a summit attended by leaders of countries whose citizens are among those affected.

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