Private donors sponsor flights as tensions persist, with March and March group giving undocumented foreigners until September 30 to leave
The Federal Government is evacuating another 83 Nigerians from South Africa, with returnees expected to arrive at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, tomorrow (August 19) via South African Airways.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the flight departs Johannesburg at 3:35pm local time, arriving Lagos around 8:45pm. This latest batch was sponsored by private individuals, not government funds.
The evacuation comes as:
· Nearly 1,490 Nigerians have already been repatriated through the government’s voluntary programme
· Anti-immigration group March and March has issued a September 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa
· The group staged protests outside the 46th SADC Summit in Durban yesterday
Government: ‘Diaspora Nigerians Are Critical Assets’
The ministry reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to citizen protection, stating: “The Federal Government remains committed to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of Nigerians at home and abroad.”
It praised private donors for their “whole of society approach” and called on states, corporations, and philanthropists to support future consular emergencies.
SADC Summit Overshadowed by Protest
March and March marched through Durban under the theme of demanding African leaders “take back” undocumented citizens. The group warned:
“We are announcing the second wave… calling on heads of state to prepare for the massive deportation of all illegal foreigners from South Africa by 30 September, which will be the mother of all protests.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the hostility, saying: “We are deeply ashamed that people from other countries have suffered ill-treatment… We cannot preach integration at a summit and practise exclusion on the streets.”
Key Points
· 83 returnees arriving August 19
· 1,490 previously repatriated
· Sept 30 – New deportation deadline
· SADC Summit targeted by protesters
· Private sponsorship funded this batch
