“Some Spent 15 Years There”: Nigeria Questions South Africa Over Migrant Removals
|By Prosper Okoye
Nigeria has questioned South Africa’s justification for the removal of foreign nationals, as migration stakeholders raise concerns over the treatment of Nigerians returning from the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of Nigeria’s Technical Working Group on Migration and Development in Abuja on Tuesday, Executive Director of the Patriotic Citizens Initiative (PCI), Mr Osita Osemene, said the experiences of returnees suggest factors beyond economic pressures may be driving the removals.
“I don’t believe that because, looking at their actions, their action is highly xenophobic,” Osemene said, describing the situation as discriminatory, though South African authorities maintain that enforcement operations are aimed at addressing undocumented migration and applying existing immigration laws.
He said many of the affected Nigerians had lived in South Africa for between 10 and 15 years, with some married to South Africans and others operating businesses that employed local citizens.
“Some of them have spent 15 years in South Africa, some 10 years, some are married to South Africans and they were all removed and they are back to Nigeria, starting from square one,” he said, citing the case of a Nigerian entrepreneur whose business reportedly employed more than 25 South Africans.
South African authorities have previously stated that immigration enforcement operations are intended to address illegal residency and manage domestic pressures linked to unemployment and public services.
Osemene, however, argued that the experiences of returnees point to discrimination against African migrants, adding that many are struggling to rebuild their lives in Nigeria.
“The integration is a process. They have to accept their situation and look at how they can restart their lives again,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) says the Federal Government is coordinating the safe return and reintegration of Nigerians affected.
Ambassador Catherine Odida, Director of Migrant Affairs at the Commission, said more than 1,000 Nigerians are expected to return from South Africa under a voluntary return programme.
“What we are doing here is ensuring they are safely returned and properly reintegrated,” she said.
Odida said returnees receive transport support and reintegration packages, while government agencies provide livelihood and psychosocial assistance to ease their resettlement.
She dismissed claims that returnees had been abandoned during the process.
“As we speak, nobody has been abandoned,” she said.
She added that about 1,600 Nigerians registered for the programme, with returns being conducted in phases due to logistics, while broader diplomatic issues fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tags: #Nigeria #SouthAfrica #Migration #ForeignAffairs
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