By Admin
Another batch of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa arrived safely in Lagos on Tuesday as the Federal Government intensified efforts to assist citizens seeking voluntary repatriation amid rising anti-immigration tensions in the southern African nation.
The latest group of returnees, numbering approximately 271, arrived aboard an Air Peace flight that landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly before 11 a.m. local time after departing Johannesburg earlier in the morning.
Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) were present at the airport to receive the evacuees and coordinate post-arrival procedures.
The evacuation forms part of the Federal Government's ongoing voluntary repatriation programme approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to provide safe passage for Nigerians wishing to leave South Africa following growing concerns over anti-migrant protests and hostility towards foreign nationals.
The decision to facilitate the return of affected Nigerians came amid heightened tensions triggered by a self-imposed June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups and vigilante organisations demanding that undocumented migrants leave South Africa.
Earlier this month, the Federal Government announced the approval of five Air Peace evacuation flights after more than 500 Nigerians registered and were screened for possible repatriation. Authorities stated that the objective was to ensure that every Nigerian who expressed a desire to return home would be evacuated safely and with dignity.
Prior to Tuesday's operation, a total of 328 Nigerians had already been brought back to the country in two separate batches. The first evacuation flight, which arrived on June 11, returned 262 Nigerians, while a second batch of 66 evacuees landed in Lagos on June 25.
The evacuation exercise is being coordinated through a partnership involving the Federal Government, Air Peace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and several emergency and immigration agencies.
Meanwhile, tensions remained high across parts of South Africa as anti-immigration demonstrations gathered momentum on Tuesday. In Johannesburg, many businesses remained closed while police officers maintained a heavy presence across the city centre to prevent possible violence and maintain order.
The protests, organised by a coalition of small political movements and vigilante groups, have focused on calls for stricter immigration enforcement and the removal of undocumented migrants from the country.
In the coastal city of Durban, groups of demonstrators dressed in traditional Zulu attire gathered in public spaces carrying sticks and shields while chanting slogans demanding that undocumented foreigners leave the country as security personnel monitored the situation.
The Nigerian government has continued to reassure citizens that the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad remain a priority, while diplomatic efforts are ongoing to address the concerns surrounding the developments in South Africa.
With hundreds already returned and additional evacuation flights expected in the coming days, authorities say the repatriation programme will continue for as long as necessary to support Nigerians willing to come back home.