By Kofoworola Fakeye, JKNewsMedia Reporter
GOVERNMENT COORDINATED evacuation flights brought the first batch of Nigerians home from South Africa, with about 262 returnees arriving in Lagos on Wednesday at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at about 10:30am aboard a specially arranged evacuation flight.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that a second group of 268 returnees also landed at the MMIA on Thursday aboard an Air Peace flight as part of the FG repatriation effort for citizens affected by the unrest.
According to reports, the evacuation exercise follows weeks of escalating anti-immigrant attacks and protests in several South African communities where foreign nationals have been targeted by violence, intimidation and harassment, prompting Nigerian authorities to activate emergency evacuation plans for citizens concerned about safety and security.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant government agencies received the returnees at the airport.
Promptly. the evacuees are to undergo documentation and profiling procedures before being reunited with families and communities across Nigeria.
Government was also noted to have said more than 1000 Nigerians have indicated interest in returning home as concerns grow over safety and welfare in South Africa, with additional evacuation flights being planned as authorities continue to assess the situation.
However, the schedule and size of subsequent batches have not been disclosed.
Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, said the number of Nigerians seeking repatriation continued to rise.
She also said Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria secured waivers from South African authorities to allow citizens with immigration related issues to leave without detention.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs further said the screening exercise for prospective returnees was extended beyond its initial deadline to ensure more affected Nigerians were captured in the evacuation programme.
It added that relevant government agencies had made arrangements to provide reception, documentation and support services for returnees upon arrival in Nigeria.
It also notes that Nigeria is among at least five African countries evacuating their nationals from South Africa in response to the unrest, alongside Ghana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that the ministry said the renewed violence has revived concerns about a longstanding pattern of attacks against African migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa.
It also recalled that in 2022, the United Nations warned that South Africa was “on the precipice of explosive xenophobic violence.”
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