As reports of xenophobic attacks in South Africa continue, Nigeria decided to repatriate its citizens who want to leave South Africa.
Nigeria has announced a “voluntary repatriation” program for its citizens in South Africa, following a series of xenophobic incidents in the continent’s most industrialized nation.
Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said on Sunday that 130 people had already registered to return home.
“This figure is expected to rise,” she wrote on social media, adding that “Nigerian lives and businesses in SA must not continue to be put at risk.”
Two Nigerians were killed in incidents connected to South African security personnel last month, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
South Africa has seen an uptick in anti-immigrant rhetoric in recent months. There have been a series of protests led by groups claiming that irregular migration is hurting the country’s economy.
A number of violent attacks have also been reported, mostly targeting Black Africans from other countries.
