The first group of Nigerian evacuees from South Africa fleeing anti-foreigner hostility has arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, touching down at approximately 5:00 AM on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
A total of 268 passengers were transported on the inaugural evacuation flight. They form the opening wave of what is shaping up to be one of Nigeria’s largest repatriation exercises from the southern African country in recent years.
Protocols on the tarmac
Federal emergency officials commenced profiling and biometric documentation at the cargo terminal of the Lagos airport shortly after the aircraft touched down. The Nigerian evacuees from South Africa were processed under enhanced arrival protocols designed for large-scale humanitarian returns.
The National Emergency Management Agency said it has established an integrated care structure to provide immediate relief and psychological support to the arriving citizens. NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar ordered the deployment of the agency’s specialised airport response team ahead of the flight’s arrival, according to a statement by the agency’s national spokesman, Ezekiel Manzo.
NEMA confirmed it is working in tandem with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and refugee agencies to ensure a seamless reintegration phase for the evacuees once preliminary health screenings and immigration clearances are concluded.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, received the Nigerian evacuees from South Africa on behalf of the Federal Government. Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa, Ambassador Alexander Ajayi, accompanied the returnees on the flight and formally handed them over to Nigerian authorities upon arrival.
State-funded, no cost to returnees
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the evacuation flight was fully funded by the Federal Government, ensuring that affected Nigerians returned home at no personal cost. Officials said the support package was intended to ease the transition for the Nigerian evacuees from South Africa and encourage more affected citizens to register for evacuation.
Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria successfully negotiated immigration waivers with South African authorities, ensuring that individuals with minor documentation issues were allowed to board rather than face immediate local detention.
The repatriation flight was initially scheduled to depart on Monday but was postponed until Wednesday due to what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described as unforeseen logistical challenges. Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said additional time was required to complete documentation and screening procedures in collaboration with South African authorities.
President Bola Tinubu approved five repatriation flights in total, all operated by Air Peace. Nigeria is planning to fly between 2,000 and 4,000 of its people home.
Registration extended
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the ongoing screening exercise being conducted by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria has been extended until Sunday, 14 June 2026, to accommodate more Nigerians willing to return home.
More than 1,000 Nigerians had registered their intent to leave before the first flight departed, according to diplomatic sources cited by Business Day. Diplomatic officials expect the number of Nigerian evacuees from South Africa to rise significantly as registration remains open through the weekend.
Crisis fuelling Nigerian evacuees from South Africa
A civic group known as March and March issued an ultimatum to undocumented foreign nationals to vacate South Africa by 30 June 2026. Anti-foreigner protesters then broadened their demands, calling on businesses to terminate the employment of all foreign nationals, including those holding valid documentation, before the same deadline.
Refugees in Durban described living in terror as the deadline approached, with verbal threats and physical assaults reported against foreign nationals regardless of their immigration status.
Foreign Affairs Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria was unhappy with South Africa and rejected claims that the Nigerians being evacuated were illegal migrants, noting that businesses and families had been targeted. She stressed that the Nigerian evacuees from South Africa included workers, students and business owners with valid documentation.
The Federal Government signalled that it may take strong diplomatic action against South Africa if the situation does not improve.
Nigeria is not alone. Ghana has already repatriated hundreds of its citizens, while Mozambique bused out 545 nationals and stood ready to evacuate more. Ghana Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disputed claims that Ghanaians were involved in crimes, saying not a single Ghanaian had been arrested.
The Nigerian evacuees from South Africa will undergo a reintegration process co-ordinated between NEMA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission before being reunited with their families, the government said.
South Africa has seen recurring waves of anti-immigrant violence, with major episodes in 2008, 2015 and 2019 each drawing sharp diplomatic responses from Nigeria. The current crisis is the most acute in years, and with the 30 June deadline still weeks away, the pressure on the Nigerian evacuees from South Africa to keep boarding those Air Peace flights shows no sign of easing.
