Nigerians on Monday, June 22, staged a protest at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, over delays in the repatriation of citizens who had registered to return home.
On June 18, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu assured Nigerians living in South Africa that no citizen willing to return home would be abandoned as a June 30 deadline set by anti-migrant groups for undocumented foreigners to leave the country draws near.
Her remarks followed the repatriation of 258 Nigerians from South Africa, the first government-led evacuation amid rising xenophobic attacks in the country.
The federal government had previously announced that four more repatriation flights would return Nigerians from South Africa. However, the second batch, initially scheduled for June 15, was subsequently postponed.
During the protest, many Nigerians expressed deep frustration over the slow pace of the evacuation process. The demonstrators said many of them had been left stranded after responding to the federal government’s call for voluntary return.
Speaking during the protest, Smart Nwobu, president of the Nigerian community in South Africa, appealed to the federal government and relevant authorities to expedite the evacuation of stranded Nigerians.
“As you know, only one flight left. The question is, when is the second batch? When is the third batch? When is the fourth batch?” Nwobu asked. “We were promised that the second batch will be here on the 15th of June. The 15th has come and left. People were made destitute and their conditions worsened. Nigerians are now sleeping on the street, and their documents have been cancelled as a result of that registration.”
He said the protesters gathered at the high commission to express their dissatisfaction with the situation and urge the government to complete the evacuation process before the end of June.
“We are appealing to the government. That is why they are here; to show their frustration and that they are not happy with the situation,” he added. “Nigerians are gathered here, calling on the government to expedite the process and airlift them on or before June 30.”
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