FG to Evacuate More Nigerians from South Africa on Tuesday
The Federal Government has confirmed that another evacuation flight carrying Nigerians from South Africa will arrive on Tuesday, as regional tensions escalate ahead of planned nationwide anti-immigrant protests scheduled for June 30.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed that an Air Peace aircraft departed Nigeria on Monday at 3:00 pm and is expected to arrive in South Africa at approximately 9:00 pm local time. The return flight is scheduled to depart at 12:00 midnight and arrive at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday morning.
The evacuation is part of a programme approved by President Bola Tinubu earlier this month to facilitate the voluntary return of Nigerians. On June 7, the Federal Government authorised five Air Peace evacuation flights after more than 500 citizens were screened for the exercise. Before the latest operation, 328 Nigerians had been evacuated in two batches: 262 on June 11 and 66 on June 25.
The development comes as South Africa braces for a national shutdown organised by the anti-immigrant group March and March, which has set June 30 as a deadline for all undocumented migrants to leave the country. The group, led by former radio personality Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, emerged in 2025 as a rallying point for anti-immigrant voices. Other groups such as Operation Dudula and United South Africa have also joined the campaign.
Xenophobic violence is a recurring issue in South Africa, where some blame immigrants for crime, unemployment, and pressure on public services. The country’s official unemployment rate stands at over 30 percent, with youth unemployment exceeding 60 percent. The deadliest wave occurred in 2008, when riots left 62 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. Further attacks followed in 2015 and 2019. According to the United Nations, an estimated 2.2 million African immigrants lived in South Africa as of 2025.
The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria has advised citizens to avoid unnecessary movement, stay away from protest venues, and maintain regular contact for updates. Ebienfa urged those who remain to “be calm and security conscious” and avoid routes dominated by protesters.
Regional responses have been swift. Uganda announced plans to evacuate 746 nationals. Malawi and Zimbabwe have also been processing thousands of migrants seeking to leave. Ghana summoned the South African acting High Commissioner over attacks on Ghanaians, while Mozambique confirmed the repatriation of remains of seven nationals killed in the violence. South Africa’s international standing has taken a battering, with condemnation from the UN, the African Commission on Human and Peoples‘ Rights, and several African nations.
The South African government has announced a R600-million (approximately $36.4 million) plan to deploy police and monitor threats. President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned citizens not to make foreigners scapegoats for problems he attributed mainly to the legacy of apartheid. “Our security forces are ready,” Ramaphosa said. The Federal Government said it is working with South African authorities to ensure the safety of Nigerians still residing in the country.