The Federal Government of Nigeria is to repatriate more than 1,000 of its citizens from South Africa as anti-immigrant sentiment grows in the country, which has long been a destination for documented and undocumented African labor.
Abuja’s move follows Ghana’s recent repatriation of hundreds of its residents from South Africa in response to a wave of protests and violence against foreigners.
Screening for Nigeria’s voluntary repatriation plan began on Thursday, foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa told AFP on Friday.
“Total figure not out yet,” he said. “We are expecting over 1,000 persons.”
In a communique dated Tuesday, Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria said it had “negotiated waivers with host authorities” so that those with “immigration-related offenses” would be allowed to leave on the eventual repatriation flights rather than be detained.
South Africa, the continent’s most industrialized economy, has long attracted people from all around the area.
However, with an unemployment rate of more than 30%, it has had frequent outbreaks of xenophobic rallies, including increased violence in recent weeks.
The recent tensions have reignited unpleasant debates across Africa about xenophobia, migration, and the disparity between pan-African rhetoric and the realities of migration on the continent.
One citizen-led group’s demand for illegal migrants to be evicted by June 30 has sparked fears of bloodshed following previous episodes of anti-immigrant riots that killed hundreds.
The South African government has stated that it is increasing enforcement against undocumented immigrants, but residents are advised not to take matters into their own hands.
