•Kimiebi Ebienfa
The federal government has announced that another 271 Nigerians affected by the recent xenophobic protests in South Africa will arrive in Lagos today (Friday) as the ongoing evacuation exercise continues.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the latest batch would bring the government closer to completing the evacuation of Nigerians who voluntarily registered to return home.
According to the ministry, the third evacuation flight is expected to land at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. today, Friday, July 3, 2026, with 271 returnees on board, reports The PUNCH.
The ministry disclosed that a total of 593 Nigerians have already been evacuated from South Africa in previous operations.
It explained that the first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight and were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the federal government before being handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for documentation and profiling.
The ministry said logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, resulting in some Nigerians being temporarily accommodated at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, where they were cared for by the mission.
It added that a Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily paid the airfare for 66 of the stranded nationals, who returned to Lagos on June 24, while another 269 evacuees arrived on June 30 through the second government-arranged evacuation flight.
The ministry said three additional evacuation flights would be operated in the coming days to bring home about 700 more Nigerians who had voluntarily registered, been screened and cleared for evacuation.
Addressing allegations that officials of the Nigerian Mission demanded money from intending evacuees, the ministry dismissed the claims.
It stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to place on record that all the special evacuation flights are fully paid for by the Federal Government and at no cost to the returnees.
“This clarification is necessitated by insinuations and false allegations that some staff of the Nigerian Mission were requesting money before enlisting our nationals for the evacuation flights. That is totally false, fake news, and should be discarded.”
The ministry also commended the cooperation of relevant ministries, departments and agencies involved in the exercise.
It said, “The ministry appreciates the very positive coordination and collaboration with relevant MDAs in making this process a success, and we will continue to work together for the good of our country.”
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to Nigerians abroad, the ministry added, “The evacuation process clearly underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It also reflects the government’s determination to ensure that Nigerians affected by crises abroad receive the necessary support, dignity, and care.
“The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are trying our best as a Ministry to give them a sense of belonging.”
South Africa has in recent days witnessed a renewed wave of anti-illegal immigration protests and sporadic unrest, beginning around June 30, 2026, in parts of major urban centres and migrant-heavy communities.
The demonstrations have been driven largely by groups demanding stricter enforcement of immigration laws, accusing undocumented foreign nationals of worsening unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
While the protests initially began as organised street demonstrations and community marches, they reportedly escalated in some areas into violent confrontations and looting incidents targeting foreign-owned shops and residences.
Authorities in South Africa have maintained that the protests are aimed at illegal migration rather than specific nationalities, but in practice, foreign nationals from several African countries have again been caught up in the tensions, prompting concern from affected governments and renewed evacuation efforts by diplomatic missions.
The current unrest has also revived longstanding concerns about xenophobic violence in South Africa, which has surfaced intermittently over the past decade during periods of economic strain and heightened political rhetoric around migration control.
