Updated: Fresh Batch Of Evacuated Nigerians Arrive From South Africa

Another batch of 271 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as the Federal Government continues its voluntary repatriation programme for citizens affected by rising anti-immigration tensions in the country.

Naija News reports that the returnees arrived aboard an Air Peace flight, which landed shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday after departing Johannesburg at about 5 a.m. local time.

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission received the returnees on arrival.

The latest evacuation forms part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to assist Nigerians who have voluntarily chosen to return home following growing hostility towards undocumented migrants in South Africa.

The exercise comes ahead of a June 30 deadline declared by some vigilante groups and organisations demanding the departure of undocumented migrants from the country.

President Bola Tinubu approved the voluntary evacuation programme earlier this month to enable Nigerians willing to leave South Africa to return home safely.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had disclosed that five Air Peace evacuation flights were approved after more than 500 Nigerians were screened for repatriation.

According to the ministry, the flights were designed to ensure that all registered Nigerians who indicated interest in returning home would be evacuated safely.

Before the latest operation, 328 Nigerians had already returned in two batches.

The first evacuation flight, which arrived on June 11, brought back 262 returnees, while another 66 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on June 25.

The evacuation exercise is being coordinated by the Federal Government in collaboration with Air Peace and other relevant agencies.