Nigeria flew home a first group of 262 nationals from South Africa on Thursday, landing most of them — women and children — at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos mid-morning as anti-immigrant threats and attacks intensified. A second group is due to be flown out on June 15.
The return flight came as around 1,000 Nigerian citizens said they wanted to leave South Africa, joining migrants from other countries who have already moved to get out. More than 3,000 Malawians, including hundreds of children, have been staying in an open field in Durban, where a park turned into a makeshift transit camp after violence and threats spread through the area.
Sayiba John was among those caught in the rush to leave. Her Grade 2 daughter had to abandon her exams, and she said the family had no real choice after being told to go. “They said we must go. We have no choice in the matter,” she said, adding that it was better for Nigeria to take them away than to face anger on the streets.
The pressure on migrants has been building for days. Groups armed with sticks, whips and shields have marched through parts of South Africa demanding that foreigners without papers leave by June 30, with the anti-migrant marches backed by the MK Party led by former President Jacob Zuma. Supporters of the marches say foreigners are taking jobs and economic opportunities, while others say migrants are being made the scapegoat for unemployment that has long frustrated South Africans.
The unrest has already spread beyond KwaZulu-Natal. Five Mozambicans have been killed in Mossel Bay, and more than 150 Malawians were bussed out of the Western Cape province over the weekend as other governments moved to get their citizens out. Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have also repatriated hundreds of nationals this month, underscoring how quickly the crisis has widened beyond one country’s borders.
For Nigeria, the first flight is likely only the start. The return of 262 people answers part of the immediate danger, but it also leaves the larger question of how many more will follow — and whether the next plane on June 15 will be enough for a crisis that is still spreading.
