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Nigeria repatriates hundreds from South Africa
Returnees including Iniebong James, 52, and Omotola Adeniyi, 19, arrived on flights that began June 11 after attacks and protests in South Africa. They now face higher living costs and uncertain employment in Nigeria.
Jun 20, 2:08 AM·1m read4 sources
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Hundreds of Nigerians have returned from South Africa on government-organized flights that began June 11 after anti-migrant marches and reported attacks on foreign nationals. Iniebong James, 52, landed in Lagos the week before June 20. He left Nigeria in 2016 on a six-month visitor’s visa, overstayed, and worked as a car mechanic in Eastern Cape Province until he was attacked by protesters in May, sustaining a head wound.
Before moving to South Africa, James drove trucks for a Lagos haulage company that closed during Nigeria’s first recession in two decades. 14) weekly to keep his shop open and paid immigration officers on two occasions after arrests. Fuel cost 85 naira per liter when he left; it reached 1,400 naira per liter on his return.
“Everything is too expensive,” he said. Omotola Adeniyi moved to South Africa in 2015 at age 8. After finishing high school she could not find work because employers said they did not hire foreigners.
She accepted a repatriation ticket last year when airfares proved too high. Nigeria’s government announced the repatriation flights in May. Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi have brought back hundreds of citizens.
Nigeria and Ghana summoned South African diplomats and issued statements on the treatment of their nationals. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu told arriving returnees through representatives: “The price of your peace, and the safety of your children, is worth any sacrifices you have to make, or any assets you have to leave behind when fleeing a conflict zone or hate-infested environment.
” Margaret Monyani, founder of the Johannesburg-based OLAM Africa Research Institute, said: “Reparation is not transformation.
Returning is not always as straightforward as it sounds. People just think, go back home and start again. ” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions about long-term support plans for the returnees.
The government stated that returnees will receive appropriate assistance before reuniting with families.
