Nigeria Seeks Compensation for Citizens Leaving South Africa Amid Anti-Migrant Tensions
The Nigerian government has announced plans to pursue compensation for citizens who have abandoned businesses, homes, and other properties while fleeing South Africa amid recent protests targeting undocumented migrants.
According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the matter will be raised through diplomatic channels and discussed between both countries “at the highest levels.” Foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa said the government is engaging South African authorities while gathering evidence from affected Nigerians before any formal compensation request is submitted.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, revealed that officials have begun documenting businesses, vehicles, and other movable and immovable properties left behind by citizens returning home. He urged all affected Nigerians to provide accurate records of what they were forced to abandon.
The development follows weeks of anti-migrant demonstrations in parts of South Africa, where some groups have been demanding stricter action against illegal migration. Thousands of people participated in marches held on Tuesday after certain anti-migrant organisations reportedly issued a 30 June deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. While most demonstrations remained peaceful, authorities recorded isolated incidents of violence involving foreign nationals.
South African police say nearly 900 people were arrested during the unrest, with most arrests linked to immigration offences and looting. The protests have contributed to a growing exodus of foreign nationals, with reports indicating that around 25,000 Africans from various countries have left South Africa in recent weeks.
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Nigeria says more than 600 of its citizens have already been repatriated, while hundreds more remain in South Africa awaiting evacuation flights. South African authorities maintain that many of those returning home were living in the country illegally, a position that Nigerian officials dispute.
Among those preparing to leave is 32-year-old trader Oghodero Erejor Wilson, who told the BBC he had lived in South Africa for nearly a decade before abandoning his clothing business in Centurion, Gauteng Province, out of fear for his safety.
“I left everything in my house, including clothes,” Wilson said, describing the situation as losing “everything because of fear.”
Wilson estimates that goods left in his shop are worth more than 16,000 rand (about $975 or £735). He admitted that his residency documents expired in 2021 and had not been renewed, but said he still hopes the losses suffered by many Nigerians will receive attention.
Although he expressed doubt that compensation would ultimately be paid, he said any support from the South African government would be welcomed.
The South African government has not yet publicly responded to Nigeria’s proposed compensation claim. However, Nigerian officials insist that diplomatic engagement remains ongoing and that all claims will be carefully verified before further action is taken.
The issue is expected to become a major topic in upcoming discussions between Abuja and Pretoria as both countries seek to manage the humanitarian, economic, and diplomatic implications of the recent migration crisis.
