Thirty-nine more Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa as the Federal Government moves closer to concluding its repatriation exercise for citizens who opted to leave the country following recent anti-migrant tensions.
Gatekeepers News reports that the latest batch arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Saturday, bringing the total number of Nigerians evacuated under the exercise to more than 630. Officials said the final group of returnees is expected to arrive next week, marking the end of the government-backed operation.
The evacuation programme was approved by President Bola Tinubu after growing concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa amid renewed threats by anti-immigrant groups targeting undocumented foreign nationals. More than 1,000 Nigerians initially indicated interest in returning home, although about 700 were eventually cleared for evacuation after screening.
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the exercise has been carried out at no cost to the returnees, with Air Peace providing most of the evacuation flights funded by the Federal Government. A smaller batch was also transported earlier through arrangements facilitated by ValueJet Chairman Kunle Soname.
According to the ministry, the returnees are received by relevant government agencies upon arrival for documentation, profiling and necessary support before reuniting with their families.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian who voluntarily registered for evacuation and completed the required clearance process is safely brought back to the country, with one final flight scheduled for next week to conclude the operation.
