No fewer than 258 Nigerians arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Wednesday, returning from South Africa. The group, which included men, women, and minors, was transported aboard a chartered Air Peace Boeing 777 aircraft that landed around 10:30 a.m.
Reception and Support for Returnees
The returnees were welcomed by the Director General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, along with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their departure from South Africa followed months of violent attacks against foreigners, with some South Africans accusing immigrants of taking their jobs.
Upon arrival, the returnees completed card registration, immigration procedures, and other checks. Each returnee is set to receive N50,000 in airtime from MTN and N100,000 from the Federal Government, in addition to offers from state governments and non-governmental organizations.
South Africa’s Repatriation Process
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs issued a statement on Wednesday confirming that the first repatriation flight departed on June 11 with 268 Nigerians, with a second flight scheduled for June 15. The department noted that all repatriated individuals were issued Emergency Travel Documents by the Nigerian High Commission, facilitating their departure.
According to the department, the repatriations complied with South Africa’s Immigration Act. All affected individuals have been declared undesirable persons and are barred from re-entering South Africa for five years. The department acknowledged the cooperation of the Nigerian High Commission throughout the process.
South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, stated that the government remains committed to enforcing immigration laws and strengthening border management. He linked enforcement efforts to reforms such as the expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorisation programme, replacement of the Green ID Book with Smart ID cards, and the planned Digital Identity system. Schreiber urged the public to avoid taking the law into their own hands, emphasizing lawful immigration enforcement.
Nigeria’s Response and Envoy’s Clarification
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, challenged claims that the 258 returnees were undocumented migrants. Speaking at the handover ceremony at the airport, Ajayi described such reports as “false and misleading,” explaining that many returnees faced administrative delays in South Africa’s immigration system, with long-standing permit renewal applications left unprocessed.
NIDCOM welcomed the returnees, stating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed and fully funded the Air Peace evacuation flight. NIDCOM Chairman/CEO Dabiri-Erewa commended the President’s swift intervention and collaborative efforts. She also announced that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma approved N1,000,000 for each Imo State indigene among the returnees. MTN Nigeria donated N100,000 per returnee, transferred to their accounts, while NIMC will fast-track issuance of National Identity Numbers (NIN) to all evacuees.
