Nigeria Evacuating 83 Citizens From South Africa Amid Xenophobia Threats

Sept. 28, 2026 | Updated 1:35 pm GMT

The Nigerian government will evacuate a new batch of 83 citizens from South Africa on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment and harassment across several South African cities.

The returnees are scheduled to depart O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time aboard a South African Airways flight. They are expected to touch down at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the operation in a statement, noting that private donors funded the flight tickets after the government’s formal voluntary repatriation program concluded. The official program previously brought home nearly 1,490 Nigerians fleeing Afrophobic attacks and community intimidation.

The ministry expressed gratitude to private individuals and corporate donors who sponsored the airfares, describing the initiative as a crucial public-private effort to protect citizens during overseas emergencies.

Officials urged state governments, corporate entities, and wealthy individuals to support similar consular relief operations as diplomatic efforts continue.

“The Federal Government remains committed to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of Nigerians at home and abroad,” the ministry said, citing President Bola Tinubu’s “Citizen Diplomacy” framework, which treats diaspora communities as vital national assets.

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Anti-Immigrant Group Sets Sept. 30 Ultimatum

The evacuation comes as South African anti-immigration movement “March and March” issued a fresh ultimatum demanding all undocumented foreigners leave the country by September 30, calling it the deadline before a “mother of all protests.”

The group staged demonstrations outside the 46th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Durban, calling on regional heads of state to recall their undocumented nationals.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the tensions directly during the summit, condemning violence and harassment directed at foreign Africans.

“We are deeply ashamed that people from other countries have suffered ill-treatment and that others have been forced to leave the country because of threats of violence,” Ramaphosa told delegates. “We cannot preach integration at a summit like this and practise exclusion on the streets of our countries.”

Diplomatic talks between Abuja and Pretoria remain ongoing to address the underlying drivers of xenophobia and ensure security for foreign residents.

Bola Adeyemi

Politics correspondent. 6 years covering Lagos State government, local administration, and city governance. Sources across Lagos governors' office and local council development areas.

Tagged to:Immigration,Nigeria,South Africa,Xenophobia,Metro