Xenophobia: Final Evacuation Flight From South Africa Lands In Nigeria As Over 1500 Citizens Return Home
The Nigerian government has completed the evacuation of over 1,500 citizens from South Africa following a series of violent xenophobic attacks. The operation was praised as a decisive intervention by President Bola Tinubu.
Why it matters
The incident highlights regional tensions in Africa regarding migration and the diplomatic responsibilities of governments to protect their citizens abroad.
She said the President's swift response to the crisis ensured that many Nigerians who faced danger during the xenophobic attacks were safely evacuated before the situation deteriorated further.
The Nigerian government has announced the conclusion of its emergency evacuation of Nigerians stranded in South Africa following months of xenophobic attacks, with the final government-sponsored flight, which departed Johannesburg on Wednesday morning, carrying 308 Nigerian nationals and three government officials, arriving in Lagos.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced that the last evacuation flight left O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at about 6:30am South African time on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and arrived in Nigeria by 11:30am.
According to the minister, the completion of the evacuation exercise brings the total number of Nigerians airlifted from South Africa to over 1500 following violent anti-migrant protests that engulfed parts of the country.
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