The Nigerian Federal Government has assured its citizens residing in South Africa that anyone wishing to return home due to ongoing anti-migrant attacks will be safely evacuated before the 30 June deadline.

The assurance was delivered in a press statement on Thursday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. The statement was signed by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasised that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully committed to the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad, promising that no citizen seeking relocation will be left behind.

Evacuation Timeline and Numbers

The repatriation process is already underway. The first cohort of 258 Nigerians was successfully airlifted from South Africa on 11 June, arriving at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, where they were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.

Approximately 1,000 Nigerians have registered for the voluntary evacuation scheme. With the first batch accounted for, over 742 citizens are expected to be brought home in the coming days before the end-of-month deadline.

According to the minister, President Tinubu issued direct instructions to swiftly assist any citizen facing danger or harassment in South Africa who wishes to return. She noted that the president remains deeply concerned by persistent reports of discrimination and violence targeting Nigerians and other African migrants.

Diplomatic Strain and Business Disparity

While Nigeria continues to engage Pretoria through diplomatic channels, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed that any further retaliatory actions would strictly adhere to constitutional provisions and proper legislative processes.

She urged for caution and a measured approach but highlighted the profound human toll of the crisis, noting that many affected families involve complex domestic ties.

"When it comes to situations like this, of course, it is necessary to be temperate and exercise caution," the minister stated. 

"But when your citizens are being harassed, when your citizens are people who have spent years there — and mind you, some of them are married to South Africans and have children who have known no other home but South Africa — then it becomes a serious concern. Now, under these circumstances, they are asking not just Nigerians, but also their South African spouses and their children, to leave South Africa."

The minister also pointed out an apparent double standard regarding how citizens are treated, contrasting the harassment of Nigerians with the freedom enjoyed by major South African commercial entities operating in Nigeria.

"As I indicated before, there are these huge conglomerates. By the way, there are over 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria," she said. 

"Nobody is asking them to provide proof of identity. Nobody is asking South African staff working there whether they are South Africans or Nigerians, and nobody is taking over their shops or businesses. But this is happening to Nigerians in South Africa. So, I think that at some point, we really have to review the options available to us. We have MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic, Protea and many other South African brands spanning multiple sectors."

Reputational Damage and Failed Safeguards

The minister warned that the rise of anti-migrant vigilante groups is severely damaging South Africa's international standing and undermining its historical legacy of pan-Africanism.

"This is causing reputational damage, and that is quite sad because the late Madiba, Nelson Mandela — God rest his soul — worked so hard to project South Africa as the bastion of pan-Africanism," she said. 

"And in one fell swoop, these anti-migrant vigilante groups have destroyed what this man sacrificed 28 years in prison for... Even within South Africa itself, people are cancelling concerts, and conferences are being called off.South Africa has been stained with the stigma of being a xenophobic country."

Furthermore, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu revealed a critical failure in bilateral safeguards. She disclosed that South African authorities had declined to activate a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on an early warning mechanism, which both nations had signed in October 2025 to protect citizens during periods of heightened tension. Pretoria later claimed that the officials who signed the agreement lacked the necessary authority to make it legally binding, asserting that additional administrative steps were required.

Nigeria is not alone in its repatriation efforts. As regional concerns mount over the safety of foreign nationals, other African countries — including Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique — have also initiated evacuation procedures to bring their citizens home.