Xenophobia: Lawyer seeks safe exit for Nigerians in South Africa

Nigerians who can afford to buy their own tickets home are still unable to leave South Africa safely, lawyer Ugochukwu Anyiam said, because undocumented people risk arrest at airports.

Appearing on Arise News, Anyiam urged Nigeria’s Federal Government to intensify efforts to evacuate Nigerians facing xenophobic attacks and protect those trying to return independently. He praised the government’s intervention but said many more people remained stranded.

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We highly appreciate that the Federal Government has done something to show that they care about their people in South Africa, people in crisis, people that are facing hostilities, but the government can still do more.

“We highly appreciate that the Federal Government has done something to show that they care about their people in South Africa, people in crisis, people that are facing hostilities, but the government can still do more,” he said. Anyiam added that thousands of Nigerians wanted to go home but could not do so for various reasons.

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There are thousands of people who are out here who need to go home and can’t go home for one reason or the other.

He said eight batches of Nigerians had so far been evacuated. The government officially managed five operations, while private organisations, including Air Peace, ValueJet Airlines and the Igbo Lawyers Association, sponsored or subsidised the others. The lawyers’ association alone paid for the evacuation of 33 Nigerians.

Anyiam said Nigeria should negotiate a blanket waiver with South African authorities for undocumented Nigerians who voluntarily want to return. “How do you ask somebody to leave your country and then turn around at the point of exit to arrest this person for leaving because you asked them to leave?” he asked. He said South Africa had the right to enforce its immigration laws, but Nigerians willing and able to leave should not fear arrest at the airport.

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How do you ask somebody to leave your country and then turn around at the point of exit to arrest this person for leaving because you asked them to leave?