FG, evacuees reject S’Africa’s undocumented claim over repatriated Nigerians

The Federal Government and 268 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa have rejected claims by Pretoria that all those returned were undocumented migrants, insisting that delays in South Africa’s immigration system and bureaucratic bottlenecks contributed to many losing their legal status.

 

The evacuees also accused the South African authorities of deliberately delaying the renewal of work permits and other documents, alleging that the situation left many migrants vulnerable to enforcement actions and extortion.

 

The Federal Government, meanwhile, has pledged to activate the Nigeria–South Africa Binational Commission and a newly established Early Warning Mechanism to improve response to future threats against Nigerians in South Africa.

 

South African immigration officials had, shortly before the departure of the evacuees from OR Tambo International Airport, insisted that all 268 Nigerians cleared for repatriation were residing illegally in the country and had been placed on a five-year travel ban.

 

“The 268 departing first were all undocumented. None of the 268 Nigerian nationals who arrived at OR Tambo International Airport for repatriation on Wednesday are in South Africa legally,” South Africa’s Head of Immigration Enforcement, Stephen van Neel, said.

 

However, Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to Pretoria, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the claim, saying many of the returnees became undocumented due to prolonged delays in processing permit renewals.

 

“Many of these people you are seeing here are not undocumented persons. Many became undocumented because of systemic failures of the South African Home Affairs system,” he said.

 

He added that delays of several years in processing applications contributed to the status of many affected Nigerians, describing claims that all returnees were illegal as misleading.

 

Ajayi also said the evacuation was initiated by President Bola Tinubu in response to rising xenophobic tensions, adding that the Federal Government had coordinated with South African authorities through a structured screening process.

 

He said the operation involved biometric identification, immigration clearance and issuance of emergency travel certificates for those without valid documents.

 

According to him, the government arranged five Air Peace flights for the evacuation, with the first batch of 268 evacuees arriving in Lagos. Subsequent flights are scheduled for June 15, 18, 22 and 24.

 

Speaking on Nigeria’s response, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said the government would strengthen diplomatic engagement through the Binational Commission and Early Warning Mechanism to prevent future crises.

 

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction said the returnees would undergo profiling for reintegration, including support for skills development, medical care, documentation and psychosocial assistance.

 

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) also announced relief packages from state governments and private organisations, including financial support and starter packs to aid reintegration.