“I Need My Papers Here”: Nigerian Man’s Video Demanding Home Affairs To Verify Him Leaves SA Stunned

• A Nigerian man who has lived in South Africa since 2009 says he entered the country through a government migration programme and has waited 16 years for his papers
• Chukwemeka Daniel posted a TikTok video publicly calling on Home Affairs to find him, verify his legal status, and issue his documents
• South Africans flooded the comments with mixed reactions, with some pointing out that Home Affairs does not have TikTok

A Nigerian man who has lived in South Africa for 16 years has taken his frustration public in a TikTok video. Chukwemeka Daniel is demanding that Home Affairs verify his legal status and hand over his documents after more than a decade of waiting.

The clip, shared by NewsNexusOfficial on 21 June 2026, shows Daniel making a direct appeal to the South African government. He says he entered the country legally through a government migration programme and has been waiting for his papers ever since.

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Sixteen years and still waiting

Daniel said he used the Comprehensive Approach to Migration Management plan to enter and remain in South Africa. This is a government-recognised programme designed for foreign nationals who want to stay in the country legally.

He said he has been in South Africa since 2009 and has nothing official to show for it. He called on anyone with the power to issue documents to contact him and verify his status through any available platform.

He pushed back against being labelled an illegal foreigner. He said his case is proof that not every foreign national in South Africa is undocumented or unauthorised. He was not begging but demanding what he believes is owed to him.

He also questioned the concept of borders on the African continent. He said Africa belongs to all Africans and that he did not consider himself a foreigner on the continent, which his ancestors also called home.

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Watch the video below:

More migration stories

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• Ntsiki Mazwai is still not over the explosive allegations made by activist Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma against her.
• Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma weighed in on President Ramaphosa's proposed five-point strategy to deal with illegal immigration.

Source: Briefly News