Nigeria Begins Emergency Evacuation of Citizens from South Africa Amid Rising Xenophobic Attacks

Nigeria has launched an emergency evacuation operation to bring home around 130 of its citizens from South Africa after a wave of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals spread across several South African cities, prompting diplomatic protests from multiple African nations.

The evacuations, coordinated through Nigerias foreign ministry, were confirmed after reports of violence against migrants including killings, lootings, and intimidation continued unchecked in areas with large immigrant populations. The Nigerian high commission in Pretoria said it was working to facilitate departure flights for citizens who wished to return home.

A Deteriorating Situation

The attacks began as protests against illegal immigration turned violent, with crowds in several cities attacking shops, homes, and vehicles belonging to foreigners from other African nations. Videos on social media showed mob violence in townships outside Johannesburg, with businesses owned by Nigerian, Somali, and other immigrant communities targeted and burned.

Nigerias foreign ministry confirmed that 130 citizens had registered with the embassy as wanting to leave. A special evacuation flight was being arranged, with additional diplomatic channels opened to assist Nigerians in other parts of South Africa who may also be at risk. We are monitoring the situation closely, said a ministry spokesperson. Acts of xenophobia, violence, looting or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Regional Diplomatic Tensions Rise

The escalation has strained relations between South Africa and several of its African neighbours. Mozambique announced it was also exploring options to evacuate its citizens caught up in the violence, and diplomatic missions from multiple countries lodged formal protests with the South African government.

The violence has drawn condemnation from African Union officials, who called on South Africa to uphold its obligations under regional agreements. South Africas government said it was deploying additional police and security forces to affected areas and vowed a crackdown.

A Longstanding Problem

Xenophobic violence in South Africa is not new. The country has experienced periodic outbreaks of violence against foreign nationals since the early 2000s, often triggered by economic downturns, high unemployment, and political scapegoating of immigrants.

South Africa is home to millions of migrants from across the continent. But resentment over jobs, housing, and public services, combined with slow government response to previous crises, has repeatedly boiled over into violence. As Nigerias evacuation gets underway, the urgency of addressing the root causes of xenophobia has never been clearer.