Xenophobia: First batch of Nigerian evacuees to land at Lagos airport, Thursday
Nigeria is repatriating its citizens from South Africa following a surge in xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiment. The emergency evacuation, funded by the Nigerian government, involves multiple flights to bring over 1,000 citizens home safely.
Why it matters
The situation underscores the deteriorating diplomatic relations between African nations and the impact of xenophobia on regional stability.
The first batch of Nigerian nationals fleeing a fresh wave of anti-foreigner hostility in South Africa is scheduled to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos at approximately 5:00 AM on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The emergency repatriation exercise follows an intensifying cycle of attacks, harassment, and targeted shutdowns of foreign-owned enterprises across multiple South African municipal hubs. The growing unrest has once again strained diplomatic and economic relations between the continent s two largest powerhouses. Tensions escalated sharply across South Africa after a loose coalition of citizen-led groups opposed to irregular migration issued a public ultimatum demanding that all undocumented foreign nationals vacate the country by June 30.
The article reports on a humanitarian evacuation effort and the geopolitical context of the unrest without inflammatory language.
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