The Federal Government has announced that another 271 Nigerians affected by the recent xenophobic protests in South Africa will arrive in Lagos on Friday as the ongoing evacuation exercise continues.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued on Thursday by its
spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the latest batch would bring the government
closer to completing the evacuation of Nigerians who voluntarily registered to
return home.
According
to the ministry, the third evacuation flight is expected to land at the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3,
2026, with 271 returnees on board.
The
ministry disclosed that a total of 593 Nigerians have already been evacuated
from South Africa in previous operations.
It
explained that the first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in Lagos on June 11
aboard a special Air Peace flight and were received by the Minister of State
for Foreign Affairs, Amb Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Federal Government
before being handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for
documentation and profiling.
The
ministry said logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight,
resulting in some Nigerians being temporarily accommodated at the Nigerian High
Commission in Pretoria, where they were cared for by the mission.
It
added that a Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily paid the airfare for 66 of the
stranded nationals, who returned to Lagos on June 24, while another 269
evacuees arrived on June 30 through the second government-arranged evacuation
flight.
The
ministry said three additional evacuation flights would be operated in the
coming days to bring home about 700 more Nigerians who had voluntarily
registered, been screened and cleared for evacuation.
Addressing
allegations that officials of the Nigerian Mission demanded money from
intending evacuees, the ministry dismissed the claims.
It
stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to
place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by
the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees.
“This
clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some
staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our
nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news, and
should be discarded.”
The
ministry also commended the cooperation of relevant ministries, departments and
agencies involved in the exercise.
It
said, “The ministry appreciates the very positive coordination and
collaboration with relevant MDAs in making this process a success, and we will
continue to work together for the good of our country.”
Reaffirming
the government’s commitment to Nigerians abroad, the ministry added, “The
evacuation process clearly underscores the priority accorded to the protection
of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s
foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It
also reflects the Government’s determination to ensure that Nigerians affected
by crises abroad receive the necessary support, dignity, and care.
“The
lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are trying our best as a
Ministry to give them a sense of belonging.”
South
Africa has in recent days witnessed a renewed wave of anti-illegal immigration
protests and sporadic unrest, beginning around June 30, 2026, in parts of major
urban centres and migrant-heavy communities.
The
demonstrations have been driven largely by groups demanding stricter
enforcement of immigration laws, accusing undocumented foreign nationals of
worsening unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
While
the protests initially began as organised street demonstrations and community
marches, they reportedly escalated in some areas into violent confrontations
and looting incidents targeting foreign-owned shops and residences.
Authorities
in South Africa have maintained that the protests are aimed at illegal
migration rather than specific nationalities, but in practice, foreign
nationals from several African countries have again been caught up in the
tensions, prompting concern from affected governments and renewed evacuation
efforts by diplomatic missions.
The
current unrest has also revived longstanding concerns about xenophobic violence
in South Africa, which has surfaced intermittently over the past decade during
periods of economic strain and heightened political rhetoric around migration
control.
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