The Nigerian government repatriated 269 more nationals from South Africa on Tuesday as anti-migrant protests intensified across the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The returnees arrived in Lagos aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg, in the second government-coordinated evacuation exercise since the crisis began. It brings the total number of Nigerians repatriated under the ongoing programme to 335 this week and roughly 600 overall, including a privately sponsored flight that brought back 66 citizens on June 24.
The evacuation came as anti-migrant groups had set June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa. Thousands of protesters marched in Johannesburg, Durban and other cities that day, demanding tougher action against illegal immigration. Organisers said the demonstrations would continue weekly for the next six months.
Foreign nationals across the continent — particularly from Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique — have been fleeing South Africa in recent weeks amid threats and, in some cases, fatal attacks. South African authorities say roughly 25,000 undocumented migrants have already been repatriated or deported, out of about 50,000 arrested since January.
Protesters argue that undocumented migrants strain limited jobs, housing and public services, and contribute to rising crime.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged concerns over illegal immigration but has urged demonstrators to avoid intimidation and violence, saying migrants living in the country lawfully are entitled to constitutional protection. #Securitynewsalert.com
