Nigeria Repatriates 83 Citizens Amid South African Xenophobic Attacks

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria coordinated the repatriation of 83 citizens from Johannesburg to Lagos on August 19, 2026. The returnees arrived at Murtala Mohammed International Airport via South African Airways, with flight tickets funded by private philanthropists. This group follows a larger voluntary repatriation program that returned nearly 1,490 Nigerians due to rising anti-foreigner sentiments and Afrophobic attacks.

Upon arrival, the returnees were received by Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe and handed over to government agencies for profiling and family reunification. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye reported that at least 90 Nigerians have been killed in such violence since June 2022. Enikanolaiye called for stronger migration governance and early-warning mechanisms, noting that Nigeria and Ghana intend to raise these concerns at the next African Union Assembly.

The evacuations coincide with heightened tensions in South Africa. During the 46th SADC Summit in Durban, the anti-immigration group March and March staged protests demanding the deportation of all undocumented foreigners by September 30. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence and discrimination, stating that the country cannot preach integration at a summit while practicing exclusion on the streets.