Hundreds of Nigerians stranded in South Africa await urgent repatriation aid
Hundreds of Nigerians who registered for the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme remain stranded in South Africa without shelter, food, or money, the News Agency of Nigeria reports, citing a statement by the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA). According to NICASA National President Frank Onyekwelu, the statement issued on Friday said many affected citizens exhausted their limited resources after travelling long distances from various provinces, believing evacuation flights were already arranged.
The stranded group includes women and children, with some reportedly sleeping in difficult conditions and facing humiliation or insensitive treatment from officials during registration and screening. NICASA warned that the humanitarian situation is worsening amid an ongoing wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa that began in April 2026, which has prompted Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi to evacuate hundreds of their nationals.
Earlier this month, Nigeria evacuated its first group of 262 citizens from Johannesburg to Lagos amid renewed attacks, as announced by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on June 11. NICASA called on the Federal Government to intervene urgently, expedite the completion of the repatriation programme, deploy emergency resources, and establish a humanitarian support mechanism for those still pending departure.