Xenophobia: FG, evacuees slam S’Africa over documentation claims
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- The Nigerian Federal Government and 268 repatriated citizens reject South Africa's claims that all returnees were undocumented.
- They blame delays in South Africa's Home Affairs system for the documentation issues.
- The repatriation follows a surge in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Nigeria's Federal Government and 268 citizens recently repatriated from South Africa have refuted claims by Pretoria that all returnees lacked proper documentation. Officials and the evacuees themselves are blaming the delays and alleged undocumented status on the inefficiencies of South Africa's Home Affairs system.
This assertion comes in the wake of a series of xenophobic attacks that have targeted Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa. The Nigerian government has expressed its displeasure with the situation, emphasizing that the documentation issues were exacerbated by systemic delays rather than a lack of effort on the part of its citizens.
The repatriated Nigerians are seeking to clear their names and highlight the challenges they faced, stating that the Home Affairs system in South Africa created hurdles that pushed many into an "illegal status" through no fault of their own. The Nigerian government supports these claims, calling for a thorough review of the processes that led to this situation.
all those returned to the country, yesterday, were undocumented, blaming delays on South Africa's Home Affairs system for pushing many illegal status.
Originally published by Vanguard. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.