Eighty-three Nigerian returnees from South Africa have arrived in Lagos following the wave of xenophobic attacks targeting mainly African migrants.
In a statement on Wednesday night, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said they arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.
The returnees were accompanied by two officials from the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ebienfa reiterated the fact that the “repatriation exercise of this batch of returnees was facilitated through the procurement of flight tickets by good-spirited private individuals, whose generous support enabled their safe return to Nigeria.”
Upon arrival, the returnees were received by the Director, African Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who welcomed them on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He said, thereafter, they were handed over to the relevant government agencies for necessary documentation and profiling ahead of their reunification with their families.
The spokesman re-echoed the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare and safe return of all Nigerian citizens abroad and expressed profound appreciation to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, the private individuals who sponsored the exercise, and all agencies involved in ensuring a smooth reception and reintegration process.
South Africa has long been a magnet for migrants.
But it has seen recurring bouts of anti-migrant violence for nearly two decades, with protests intensifying this year after vigilante groups ordered undocumented foreigners to leave by June 30.
More than 176,000 people have left in recent weeks, according to an AFP tally based on figures provided by African countries that have repatriated their nationals.
At least four migrants have been killed in the violence, according to the South African police, though some foreign governments say the death toll is higher.
Ghana, which has been an outspoken critic of the fatal attacks, has called for an African Union debate on the anti-migrant violence at the next AU summit early next year.
Nigeria, which has also clashed diplomatically with South Africa over recurring attacks on its citizens, has likewise pushed to put the issue on the AU’s agenda.
