FG Set to Finalise South Africa Evacuation
Nigeria is concluding screenings for citizens seeking voluntary evacuation from South Africa following renewed xenophobic tensions.
The Federal Government will complete the screening of Nigerians seeking voluntary evacuation from South Africa today as plans advance.
The update was provided by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said the screening exercise began on Thursday and is nearing completion. The process involves the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the South African Police and immigration officials.
According to the government, the screening is designed to establish the exact number of Nigerians eligible for voluntary evacuation following renewed xenophobic attacks in parts of South Africa. Once the exercise concludes, authorities will move ahead with arrangements to transport those cleared back to Nigeria.
Ebienfa explained that the final list of approved evacuees will guide the next stage of the operation. He said, “The screening exercise of Nigerians in South Africa that have registered to be evacuated will end today.”
He added, “At the end of the screening, we will have a definite figure that has been cleared for evacuation. Thereafter, government will finalise the details about deployment of aircraft to bring them home.”
The voluntary evacuation programme was announced by the Federal Government last month after anti-immigrant protests in Pretoria and Johannesburg raised concerns among foreign nationals. The initiative aims to provide a safe return option for Nigerians who no longer feel secure in their host communities.
Earlier, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, revealed through a post on X that 130 Nigerians had initially enrolled for the programme. However, interest has grown steadily as more citizens have indicated a desire to return home.
Recent reports suggest that the number of Nigerians requesting voluntary evacuation has now exceeded 1,000. The sharp increase highlights growing concerns among affected citizens and underscores the importance of the government’s repatriation efforts.
Do you think Nigeria should introduce permanent emergency evacuation plans for citizens living abroad?
Comments are closed.