Nigeria has announced a “voluntary repatriation” program for its citizens in South Africa, following a series of xenophobic incidents in the continent’s most industrialized nation.
Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said on Sunday that 130 people had already registered to return home.
“This figure is expected to rise,” he wrote on social media, adding, “The lives and businesses of Nigerians in South Africa should not be put at risk.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said two Nigerians were killed last month in incidents involving South African security personnel.
Why are Nigerians leaving South Africa?
South Africa has seen an increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric in recent months. There have been several protests led by groups claiming that irregular migration is hurting the country’s economy.
A number of violent attacks have also been reported, mostly targeting black Africans from other countries.
But experts warn that immigrants are simply being used as scapegoats for South Africa’s economic problems, and anti-immigrant fervor is being driven by populist pundits online.
According to South Africa’s national statistics agency, there are approximately 3 million immigrants living in the country, about 5% of the population, the majority of whom come from the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc.
What did South Africa say on anti-migrant violence?
South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told the press that he had spoken by phone with Odumegwu-Ojukwu and “We considered the challenges posed by irregular migration and committed to working to address the root causes, finding common and lasting solutions to this shared concern.”
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry said South Africa’s High Commissioner in Abuja was due to hold talks with Nigerian representatives on Monday to discuss “documented instances of ill-treatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses”.
Elections are to be held in South Africa on 4 November. Odumegwu-Ojukwu blamed xenophobic opposition parties for promoting a “repeated wave” of xenophobic rhetoric “to garner votes”.
Last week, South Africa’s acting police minister, Firoz Cachalia, condemned anti-migrant violence, saying: “Acts of xenophobia, violence, looting or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Edited by: Alex Berry