Nigerians in South Africa Appeal to DIRCO and Government for Help Returning Home, SA Debates

• Hundreds of Nigerian nationals remain outside their embassy in Pretoria, as they await repatriation to their own country
• Smart Nwobi, President-General of the Nigeria Union South Africa, appealed for assistance in getting the Nigerians home
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the appeal, sharing mixed reactions to the latest development

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG – Nigerians are calling on their South African government and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to do more to help them return home.

Hundreds of Nigerian nationals remain in the country and are desperate to leave, over two weeks after the unofficial deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.

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While the Nigerian government has arranged several flights for citizens to leave the country, Smart Nwobi, the President-General of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), confirmed that there are more who are still desperate to get out of the country.

Nwobi appeals to the South African government to help

Speaking outside the Nigerian embassy in Pretoria, where many people are awaiting repatriation, Nwobi appealed to the government and DIRCO to assist.

“So, we are going to still plead with the government as well as DIRCO and the South African government to cooperate with our embassy to ensure that those who voluntarily want to go back home and start a new life, that they should be able to allow them to leave,” he said.

He added that there were people who also wanted to buy their own ticket and repatriate themselves or self-deport. He explained that the problem they had was that when they got a ticket and emergency travel documents, the airport officials wouldn’t allow them to leave, saying they had violated their Visa or overstayed in the country.

Mzansi reacts to the repatriation appeal

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South Africans had strong opinions about the situation in the comments.

@KetsiStar said:

"You cannot come to SA with a 90-day tourist visa and overstay for 10+ years, bore children and expect to just waltz in at OR Tambo International Airport and purchase a return ticket, kanjalo nje. You will serve time in jail or the Lindela Deportation Centre. We have laws in our country."

@srakwena wrote:

"And when they get to Nigeria, they will start coming up with fabricated claims that they lost businesses, properties, and they want to be compensated by the South African government. Why is it difficult for their government to assist?"

@BlesBlesRSA said:

"At this point, I wouldn't even mind if the South African government assists them because I want them gone as in yesterday, especially those Nigerians from Cape Town who sell drugs."

@BurnaBurnaBabe asked:

"They say they run businesses and are doing well and are better than South Africans, so why aren't they buying their own tickets back home? How embarrassing."

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@LixMiller added:

"You do realise that there are still thousands of Nigerians who are waiting for assistance to exit South Africa? I know this is terribly embarrassing for Nigeria (picking up yet another load of illegal immigrants), but these people do need your help."

Nigeria seeks compensation from South Africa

Briefly News reported that Nigeria's Foreign Ministry has weighed in on the recent anti-illegal immigration marches in South Africa and the repatriation of its citizens.

Nigeria's Acting High Commissioner, Alexander Ajayi, noted that some citizens left assets behind when they left the country before the deadline

Social media users weighed in on the situation, and the comments made by some Nigerians about seeking compensation for what they lost.

Source: Briefly News