The Federal Government has assured Nigerians living in South Africa that all citizens who have indicated willingness to return home amid ongoing anti-migrant attacks in the country will be evacuated before the June 30 deadline.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a press statement issued on Thursday, signed by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze.
The minister said the Tinubu administration remains committed to the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad and would ensure that no citizen willing to return from South Africa is left behind.
According to her, the evacuation exercise is already underway, with the first batch of 258 Nigerians successfully airlifted from South Africa and received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 11.
She disclosed that about 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation from South Africa, adding that arrangements were being concluded to bring home the remaining citizens before the deadline. This means that over 742 Nigerians are expected to be evacuated in the coming days.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that Nigerians exposed to danger and harassment in South Africa and who have voluntarily indicated interest in returning home should be assisted to do so without delay.
She said the president remains concerned about reports of discrimination and attacks against Nigerians and other African migrants living in South Africa.
The minister explained that Nigeria was continuing to engage South African authorities through diplomatic channels while exploring other lawful options to address the situation.
She noted that any further action by Nigeria would be taken in line with constitutional provisions and due legislative process.
She said, “When it comes to situations like this, of course, it is necessary to be temperate and exercise caution. But when your citizens are being harassed, when your citizens are people who have spent years there, and mind you, some of them are married to South Africans and have children who have known no other home but South Africa, then it becomes a serious concern.
“Now, under these circumstances, they are asking not just Nigerians, but also their South African spouses and their children, to leave South Africa,” the minister said. She also expressed concern over what she described as the unequal treatment of Nigerians despite the significant presence of South African businesses operating in Nigeria.