By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
Nigeria has joined other African nations in repatriating its citizens from South Africa following a sharp rise in anti-migrant sentiments and xenophobic attacks.
A flight carrying 268 Nigerians landed safely in Lagos on Thursday after departing Johannesburg earlier in the day. The passengers were part of approximately 1,000 Nigerians who have registered with the Nigerian Consulate in South Africa for voluntary repatriation.
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Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have already carried out similar evacuation exercises ahead of a June 30 deadline set by some anti-migrant campaigners for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
Many Africans migrated to South Africa after the end of apartheid in 1994 in search of better economic opportunities. However, with South Africa’s unemployment rate above 30%, anti-migrant feelings have intensified, leading to protests and sporadic xenophobic attacks in major cities.
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One of the repatriated Nigerians, Justin, who had lived in South Africa since 1998, told the BBC he was leaving due to safety concerns.
“Recently they attacked me in a taxi. I ran away and left my things… They call us names and say you must leave this country,” he said.
Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, noted that migrants constitute less than 10% of South Africa’s population and should not be blamed for systemic failures in education, healthcare, policing, and unemployment.
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The repatriation comes amid heightened tensions, with reports of attacks on foreigners, including the killing of two Mozambican men in Western Cape earlier this month.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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