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How Nigerians for South Africa fit benefit from govment plans to bring dem back home as more anti-foreigners protests dey continue
About 150 Nigerians wey dey live for South Africa don show interest to comot di southern African kontri as anti-immigrant marches continue for some cities for di kontri.
Di National Publicity Secretary of di Nigerian Union South Africa Akindele Olunloyo wey give dis informate on Monday, 4 April tok say, di about 150 Nigerians nationals don register to leave, following Nigerian govment announcement to repatriate dia citizens wey wan comot for South Africa.
Na on Sunday, Nigerian govment bin announce say dem dey make arrangements to repatriate dia nationals wey wan return home voluntarily sake of fear say di recent attacks on foreigners fit escalate.
Dis move dey come afta protesters for South Africa hold rallies for Pretoria and Johannesburg last week, wia dem demand tougher actions against illegal migration wey dem say dey put pressure on jobs, security, plus public services.
Di anti-foreigners campaigners say dem want make foreigners comot dia kontri.
On Sunday, Nigeria Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu for statement say 130 Nigerian nationals bin register for di exercise and add say di number dey expected to rise.
But she no tok wen di repatriation dey expected to happun or give further informate on how govment dey plan to evacuate di willing citizens.
Di Nigerian Union for South Africa also say di informate dem get na to register voluntary nationals, but di timeline neva dey clear, but dem don begin collate di names and personal details of pipo wey wan comot di host kontri.
Also, for di statement, di foreign affairs minister bin express President Bola Tinubu concern about di attacks for di southern African nation and condemn di violence against foreign nationals and demonstrations wey dey characterised by "xenophobic rhetoric, hate speeches and incendiary anti-migrant statements".
"Di lives of Nigerian and businesses for South Africa must not continue to dey put at risk, and we remain committed to work to explore wit South Africa ways to put an end to dis," Bianca tok.
South Africa don come under intense diplomatic pressure following anti-immigration protests for some parts of di kontri. Nigeria na di latest kontri to demand action.
However, to resolve di tension between di two kontris, Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, bin hold meeting wit di Acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Lesoli Machele for Abuja dis Monday, wia di South African official tok say dia govment no support di ongoing protests against black pipo for di kontri.
For di meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu tell Machele say Nigeria govment no happy wit di attacks on dia citizens and dem demand di investigation, arrest and prosecution of di pipo wey dia hands dey for di death of di two Nigerians wey bin kpai sake of alleged xenophobic attacks.
Di South Africa Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola for inside one telephone conversation wit Odumegwu-Ojukwu still on top di recent anti-migrants attacks and protest for South Africa tok say di two kontris don agree to strengthen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation across all areas, including pipo-to-pipo relations.
E add say dem torchlight di challenges wey irregular migration dey cause and commit to address di root causes and find solutions to di challenges.
Meanwhile, di anti-foreigners march for South Africa still dey ginger as more protests dey planned for Monday, 4 April to 8 April.
Tok-tok pesin for Nigerians wey dey live for South Africa tok say although di situation no dey volatile but di anti-foreigner marches still dey go on and e dey spread for di major cities for South Africa wey include Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
E say Nigerians dey cautious and dey watch di situation very closely, although many of dem don declare dia intention to return home. E say part of dem na one undocumented Nigerian wey don spend ova 20 years for KwaZulu-Natal, e say di man dey veri sick and ready to return home.
Also, anoda woman say she don tire for di evri day harassment against foreigners and no feel safe, she sef wan leave di kontri.
Peter Odike, one Nigerian naturalised for 2006, tell BBC say fear dey among immigrants for South Africa: ''Business dey totally down. Most of us dey shut down becos e no dey safe to stay here,'' e tok.
Process to repatriate Nigerian citizens from South Africa
Di Nigeria minister of foreign affairs Madam Odumegwu-Ojukwu say di president priority na for di safety of citizens and "consequently, arrangements dey currently under way to collate details of Nigerians for South Africa for voluntary repatriation flights for dose wey need assistance to return home".
Kimiebi Ebienfa, di tok-tok pesin for di Foreign Affairs Ministry for Nigeria wey follow BBC News Pidgin tok say di evacuation go depend on di number of Nigerians wey wan leave from South Africa and govment funding.
"For voluntary return, e go depend on how practical di funds fit dey made available to actualise dat. If di nationals wey register no get resources to get dia flight ticket to come back Nigeria, e mean say govment gatz step in, and dat one mean say govment gatz provide flight tickets or hire airplane to take bring dem back," Ebienfa tok.
Unlike for 2019, wen one private airline Air Peace bring back several Nigerians from South Africa sake of xenophobic attack at di time, Oga Ebienfa say govment fit no rely on Air Peace dis time around, but if di "situation dey tense, I believe say di present administration go do somtin about am".
However, repatriating citizens from a foreign kontri during xenophobic attacks dey involve close coordination between di home kontri Ministry of Foreign Affairs, local consulates, and sometimes private partners to ensure di safety and secure return of dia citizens.
Di process dey involve:
- Voluntary Registration: Di home kontri - Nigeria go open registration centres for dia High Commission (Pretoria) and Consulate General (Johannesburg) for citizens wey wish to return.
- Information Gathering: Citizens go provide personal details, wey include full name, passport data, state of origin, place of birth, current address, and proof of circumstances wey go qualify dem for repatriation.
- Coordination wit Diaspora: Di mission go collabo wit local citizen associations like Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Nicasa, Nigeria Union South Africa, to compile di list of dose wey no fit afford to travel, plus ensure say even dose wey don lost dia documents wey wan leave go fit leave.
- High-Level Dialogue: Di home govment go summon di envoy of di host kontri to address di violence. Dis dey evident.
- Security for Returnees: Di host kontri dey expected to secure areas wia foreigners go gada to leave and ensure safe passage to di airport.
- Free Evacuation Flights: Govments, often wit assistance from local airlines dey arrange special flights, like di repatriation of hundreds of Nigerians by Air Peace Airline for 2019.
- Emergency Documents: Di Consulate go provide emergency travel documents to pipo wey don lost or damage dia passports during attacks.
Anti-immigrant sentiment bin rise earlier dis year afta reports say di head of di Nigerian community for di port city of KuGompo (formerly East London) bin dey installed for one traditional role wey fit dey translated as "king".
Some South Africans for di local area bin see dis as attempt to grab political power.
South Africa na home to about 2.4 million migrants, just less dan 4% of di population, according to official figures. However, dem tink say many more dey for di kontri unofficially.
Most of dem come from neighbouring kontris like Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, wey get history of providing migrant labour to dia wealthy neighbour. Small number come from Nigeria.
