Posted by Chinenye on Tue 18th Aug, 2026 - tori.ng
Nigeria is preparing to bring another group of citizens home from South Africa as tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals continue to grow.
(Xenophobia. Photo by Vanguard News)
The Federal Government announced plans to evacuate a further 83 Nigerians from South Africa, with the returnees expected to land at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The contingent will travel on South African Airways, departing Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 3:35 pm local time and arriving in Lagos at approximately 8:45 pm.
The latest evacuation batch was facilitated through the intervention and sponsorship of private individuals, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry extending gratitude for their support.
The development follows the conclusion of the Federal Government's voluntary repatriation initiative, which saw nearly 1,490 Nigerians returned from South Africa amid escalating xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiment.
The government reiterated its commitment to protecting the welfare and dignity of Nigerians both domestically and abroad, characterising diaspora nationals as critical assets for development under the administration's Citizen Diplomacy framework.
The ministry commended philanthropists and private individuals supporting the evacuation and appealed to the organised private sector, corporate entities, state governments and well-meaning Nigerians at home and abroad to replicate the initiative and assist with consular emergencies.
The government pledged to deepen strategic partnerships with host countries, including South Africa, to address the underlying causes of xenophobia and prevent violence and discrimination.
Concurrent with these efforts, a South African anti-immigration organisation staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community summit in Durban, announcing September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to vacate the country.
The group marched through the city centre during the 46th SADC Summit, calling on African leaders to take responsibility for their citizens residing in South Africa without legal authorisation.
The organisation, which had previously organised nationwide demonstrations on June 30 calling for stricter measures against undocumented foreigners, signalled its intention to pursue the campaign until government immigration demands were met.
It characterised the September 30 action as "the mother of all protests" and called on South Africans to monitor compliance with immigration law and report illegal foreign nationals.
The 46th SADC Summit convened leaders from the regional bloc's 16 member states.
South Africa's President addressed the discrimination and violence experienced by foreign nationals, expressing shame at their ill-treatment and forced departures driven by violence threats.
He underscored the contradiction between advocating regional integration at summit level whilst practising exclusion within domestic contexts.
Prior June 30 demonstrations were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas.
The immigration dispute has prompted several African countries to evacuate citizens amid mounting tensions over the treatment of foreign populations.