Nigeria sent home 260 nationals from South Africa on Thursday as anti-immigrant marches and attacks continued to push foreign residents into hurried departures. A first group of 262 Nigerians landed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos mid-morning the same day, underscoring how quickly the violence is driving people out.

The return came as more than 3,000 Malawians, including hundreds of children, remained in an open field in Durban after fleeing threats and assaults. One of them, Ellen Mwamulima, said she hid in the bush for two weeks after running from a mob and that her house and belongings were burnt, a loss that turned displacement into something far more immediate than a political argument.

The repatriations have become a regional response to unrest that has spread across parts of South Africa. Ghana, Mozambique and Malawi have also carried out similar operations in recent weeks, while more than 150 Malawians were bussed out of the Western Cape province over the weekend. Around 1,000 Nigerian citizens have said they want to leave South Africa, and a second group is due to be flown out on June 15.

What is unfolding in Durban and beyond is not only a migration story but a fight over who gets to belong in a strained economy. Protesters have accused foreign nationals of taking jobs and economic opportunities from South Africans, and Mythobisi Sabelo echoed that anger, saying undocumented foreigners were working everywhere in his business field and that people had tried for years to find work before giving up. Others say the blame is being put on foreigners who are being scapegoated for deeper joblessness and frustration.

The unrest has already claimed lives, with five Mozambicans killed in Mossel Bay, and it has drawn backing from the MK Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma. With another Nigerian flight scheduled for June 15 and families still camped in exposed conditions, the pressure now is on whether more governments will keep arranging exits before the violence spreads further.