Nigeria, returnees condemn South Africa's alleged paperwork discrepancies, citing anti-foreigner sentiments

The Federal Government and 268 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa have disputed Pretoria's claims that all the returnees were undocumented, instead blaming delays in South Africa's Home Affairs system for many being pushed into illegal status.

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The evacuees accused the South African government of deliberately delaying the renewal of their work permits and other documents, in order to have a reason to clamp down on Nigerians, while their security agencies extorted them.

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The Federal Government has pledged to activate the Nigeria-South Africa Binational Commission and the newly established Early Warning mechanism to respond faster to future threats against Nigerians in South Africa.

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Some of the evacuees also blamed the Nigerian Mission in Pretoria for their irregular status, citing bureaucratic bottlenecks within the Commission that further frustrated efforts to regularize their stay in South Africa.

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South African authorities had claimed that all 268 Nigerians cleared for repatriation were undocumented and were residing illegally in the country, and had imposed a five-year travel ban on them.

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According to South Africa's Head of Immigration Enforcement, Stephen van Neel, "The 268 departing first were all undocumented, none of the 268 Nigerian nationals who arrived at OR Tambo International Airport for repatriation on Wednesday are in South Africa legally, not a single person of the 268 is legal."

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Nigeria's acting High Commissioner to Pretoria, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi, disputed the claims, stating that many of the returnees were not undocumented persons, but had become so due to systemic failures of the South African Home Service.

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Ajayi explained that some returnees had submitted requests for the extension of their resident permits for years, but were left stranded due to delays and backlogs in the system.

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He described the South African Home Affairs as a transactional section where backlogs and delays had left legitimate applicants stranded, making them become undocumented.

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Ajayi said that President Bola Tinubu initiated the evacuation in April after xenophobic violence erupted, and had set up a hotline with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the mission in Pretoria for daily updates.

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According to Ajayi, Tinubu faced pressure from world leaders and the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, to halt the repatriation, but the President was resolute in his decision to bring Nigerians home.

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The government has arranged five Air Peace flights to bring Nigerians home, with the first batch of 268 evacuees arriving on Wednesday, and the next flights scheduled for June 15, 18, 22, and 24.

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The process involved a three-stage screening coordinated with South Africa's Foreign Ministry, Home Affairs, Immigration Service, Border Management Office, and Intelligence Service, including biometric identification, immigration clearance, and issuance of emergency travel certificates.

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The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, assured that the Federal Government would activate the Nigeria-South Africa Binational Commission and the Early Warning Mechanism to respond faster to future threats against Nigerians in South Africa.

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Enikanolaiye stated that President Tinubu was undertaking reforms to make Nigeria livable, so that citizens would only travel abroad for holidays, and had sent him to assure the evacuees that the government was committed to their well-being.

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The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, said the Federal Government was handling the return of 268 Nigerians from South Africa in a coordinated and dignified manner, with the healing and reintegration process already begun.

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Dr. Doro explained that the immediate priorities were safe reception, attending to basic needs, and profiling returnees to understand their skills, vulnerabilities, family situation, and support needs.

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The Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the Federal Government had secured immediate relief packages from private firms and state governments for the returnees, including cash transfers and mobile phones.

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Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State had pledged N1 million for each returnee, while MTN Nigeria Communication Plc had pledged N100,000 each, as well as N50,000 airtime and starter packs for the returnees.

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Some of the returnees also rejected the claims that they were illegal migrants, saying that the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa complicated their problem by making it difficult for them to renew their papers.

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One of the evacuees, who identified herself as Peace, said the Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria made it difficult for citizens to renew their documents, worsening the illegal status many found themselves in.

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Peace alleged that in 2023, during the election campaign, commission officials collected R2,700 each from over 9,000 Nigerians in Johannesburg for passport booklets, demanding cash instead of bank transfers.

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Another evacuee, Emmanuel Nwachukwu, alleged that hostility towards foreigners, particularly Nigerians, had intensified in parts of South Africa, with some groups threatening violence against African migrants who refused to leave the country.

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Nwachukwu acknowledged that a significant number of migrants lack valid documentation, but argued that bureaucratic obstacles make it difficult for foreigners to regularize their status.

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A 26-year-old evacuee, Sandra Omotala-Adeniyi, said she came back home to continue her education after finishing high school in 2024, as advancing her studies in South Africa was difficult due to limited access to study permits and bursaries.

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Omotala-Adeniyi urged other Nigerians in South Africa to return, citing fears of renewed violence ahead of June 15, and warning that the situation would only get worse.

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Another evacuee, Mr. Chukwuemeka Chris Okeke, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government and individuals who facilitated their return, saying the situation in South Africa had become unbearable for many African migrants.

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Okeke expressed optimism about Nigeria's future and called on citizens to work together to improve the country, stating that "there is no place like home" and thanking the government for their support.