Nigeria evacuates citizens from South Africa as anti-migrant sentiment rises
Summary
Nigeria has started flying some of its citizens back from South Africa because of growing hostility against migrants. This comes after several other African countries also evacuated their people amid xenophobic attacks and protests blaming migrants for high unemployment and pressure on services in South Africa.Key Facts
- A flight with 268 Nigerians arrived in Lagos from Johannesburg, with about 1,000 Nigerians signed up for repatriation.
- Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have already evacuated their nationals from South Africa.
- Migrants came to South Africa mainly after 1994, hoping for better opportunities.
- South Africa’s unemployment rate is over 30%, which has increased anti-migrant feelings.
- Xenophobic violence has caused deaths; police confirmed two Mozambican men killed, though the true numbers are unclear.
- Migrants make up less than 10% of South Africa’s population and are not the cause of problems in public services or unemployment, according to Nigeria’s consul.
- Many migrants lack legal documents due to slow processing by South African authorities.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new measures to fight illegal migration, including jailing employers of undocumented workers and speeding up deportation processes.
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