Story perspectives

Xenophobic Attacks Kill Five Mozambicans, Prompt Nigerian Evacuation, Employer Crackdown

6/12/2026

Summary

Nigeria evacuates

Nigeria flew 260 citizens from South Africa to Lagos on Thursday, 2026, after Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria is unhappy and may take action.
Protesters armed with sticks and whips demanded undocumented foreigners leave South Africa June 30.
At least five Mozambican men were killed in Mossel Bay during the xenophobic attacks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced employers hiring undocumented workers will face jail and a ID system will be introduced.

Summary

Nigeria Facilitates Return

The evacuation used a reception that documented, profiled and medically examined returnees before placing them in temporary housing.
The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria secured waivers for offenders and extended the voluntary-return screening to June 14.
The Ministries of Education and Health will place returning students in schools and treat evacuees, with Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu negotiating the transfer of 100 Nigerian prisoners from Ethiopian prisons, where four inmates have died.

History

Historical Context

In May 2008, Alexandra township erupted into xenophobic riots that killed more than 60 people and displaced over 100,000 migrants, prompting President Thabo Mbeki to deploy armed forces for the first time since apartheid. The violence resurfaced in 2015 and 2019, shaping today’s Nigerian evacuation led by Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu under President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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Nigeria evacuates

Nigeria flew 260 citizens from South Africa to Lagos on Thursday, 2026, after Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria is unhappy and may take action.
Protesters armed with sticks and whips demanded undocumented foreigners leave South Africa June 30.
At least five Mozambican men were killed in Mossel Bay during the xenophobic attacks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced employers hiring undocumented workers will face jail and a ID system will be introduced.

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