Among them is 52-year-old Iniebong James, who arrived in Lagos earlier this month on a government-organized repatriation flight after spending a decade in South Africa. While relieved to have escaped an increasingly hostile environment, he now faces many of the same economic pressures that originally drove him to leave Nigeria.

James moved to South Africa in 2016 after losing his job as a truck driver during Nigeria’s first recession in more than two decades. Settling in Eastern Cape Province, he worked as a car mechanic despite overstaying a six-month visitor visa.

His return followed an attack by anti-immigrant protesters in May that left him with a head injury. The incident occurred amid rising anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa, where demonstrations demanding the removal of undocumented migrants have intensified in recent months.

South Africa has long attracted migrants from across the African continent due to its comparatively developed economy and broader employment opportunities. However, periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence have repeatedly exposed tensions over unemployment, poverty, public services and crime.

Back in Nigeria, James says he faces a more difficult economic landscape than the one he left behind. Inflation has surged following sweeping economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the liberalization of the national currency.

The resulting increase in living costs has been compounded by global energy market disruptions linked to the recent US-Iran conflict. According to James, fuel prices that stood at about 85 naira per liter when he departed Nigeria have climbed to approximately 1,400 naira per liter upon his return.

Seeking employment, he says he hopes government assistance programs promised for returning citizens will help him rebuild his life.

Nigeria’s government has stated that repatriated nationals will receive support before reuniting with their families, though officials have not publicly outlined long-term reintegration measures.

Migration experts say returning home after years abroad often presents challenges that extend beyond transportation and immediate assistance.

“Repatriation is not transformation,” said Margaret Monyani, founder of the Johannesburg-based OLAM Africa Research Institute. She noted that migrants who have spent years building lives elsewhere frequently struggle to reconnect economically and socially upon their return.

For younger returnees, the adjustment can be equally difficult.

Omotola Adeniyi returned to Nigeria after spending 11 years in South Africa, where she moved as a child with her mother. Although she completed secondary education there, she said finding employment proved difficult as a foreign national.

Unable to secure stable work and lacking the resources to finance her own return journey, she accepted Nigeria’s offer of repatriation. Now back in Lagos, she says the country feels unfamiliar after more than a decade abroad.

The wave of anti-migrant protests in South Africa has prompted diplomatic responses from several African governments, including Nigeria, Ghana and Malawi, which have repatriated hundreds of their citizens in recent weeks.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, defended the government’s repatriation efforts, describing the safety of citizens as the primary concern amid rising tensions.

Analysts note that despite recurring xenophobic incidents, South Africa remains a major destination for African migrants because of its relatively advanced infrastructure, stronger institutions and broader economic opportunities compared with many neighboring countries.

The experience of returnees such as James underscores a broader dilemma facing many African migrants: balancing security concerns abroad against economic hardship at home, with neither option offering an easy path to stability.

The diplomatic exchange follows Ghana’s decision last month to arrange flights for hundreds of its nationals seeking to leave South Africa after a wave of protests and violence targeting foreign migrants intensified in several communities.

Tensions escalated after Ghana’s embassy in Pretoria published footage showing passengers aboard a repatriation flight waving Ghanaian flags as they departed South Africa. The images drew attention across social media and prompted a sharp response from South African authorities.

South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said Pretoria had initially sought to assist Ghana’s government in facilitating the voluntary return of its citizens in a constructive and humanitarian manner. However, he accused some Ghanaian officials of presenting an incomplete picture of events and undermining diplomatic norms.

“Our initial hope was simply to assist the Government of Ghana in repatriating its citizens in a humane and cordial manner,” Lamola said in comments posted on X. He added that South Africa would not continue to accept what he called “public spectacles” marked by misinformation and lacking diplomatic decorum.

His remarks were directed at statements made by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, whose comments accompanied public discussion surrounding the evacuation effort.

The dispute highlights growing strains caused by recurring outbreaks of xenophobic sentiment in South Africa, where economic hardship and high unemployment have periodically fueled hostility toward foreign nationals. With unemployment exceeding 30%, migrants are often blamed by some groups for competition over jobs, housing and public services.

South Africa has long attracted both documented and undocumented workers from across the continent due to its comparatively diversified economy and greater employment opportunities. However, periodic anti-immigrant violence has remained a persistent challenge for successive governments.

Recent tensions intensified after a widely circulated video appeared to show a Ghanaian national being assaulted, sparking outrage among migrant communities and prompting renewed calls for protection of foreign residents.

The repatriation flights organized by Ghana underscore growing concerns among African governments about the safety of their citizens living in South Africa. At the same time, the public disagreement between Pretoria and Accra reflects the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding migration, public security and regional relations as authorities seek to manage the fallout from renewed anti-foreigner unrest.

Neither government has indicated any immediate change in bilateral relations, but the exchange has drawn attention to the broader challenge of addressing xenophobic violence while preserving regional cooperation and freedom of movement across the continent.

Most of those displaced are from Malawi and Mozambique. Many said they spent nights hiding in nearby mountains and bushland before seeking shelter in community centers in towns including Gansbaai, Kleinmond and Stanford.

The unrest follows weeks of protests against undocumented migrants that escalated into violence over the weekend. In Mossel Bay, 55 shacks were burned, while authorities reported the deaths of Mozambican nationals amid the tensions.

Local officials said more than 500 people fled their homes in the Gansbaai area alone. Witnesses alleged that groups carrying sticks, whips and other weapons targeted foreign residents regardless of their immigration status.

Mozambique said five of its citizens were killed as a direct result of the attacks and reported that hundreds had already returned home. Ghana and Nigeria have also organized repatriation efforts for affected nationals.
South African authorities have deployed officials to assist displaced migrants with documentation and voluntary return arrangements as fears of further violence persist.