Nigeria is preparing to repatriate its citizens residing in South Africa who wish to return home voluntarily, a move prompted by escalating fears that recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners could intensify. Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu announced that 130 applicants had already registered for the exercise, with this number expected to grow. She conveyed President Bola Tinubu's deep concern over the attacks and condemned the violence, describing demonstrations as being characterized by "xenophobic rhetoric, hate speeches and incendiary anti-migrant statements."

The issue has led to Nigeria summoning South Africa's acting High Commissioner to formally convey its "profound concern" over incidents that could strain existing relations between the two countries. Discussions focused on recent anti-immigrant marches and "documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses." Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized that "Nigerian lives and businesses in South Africa must not continue to be put at risk," citing the killings of at least two Nigerians, Amamiro Chidiebere Emmanuel and Nnaemeka Matthew Andrew, in separate incidents involving local security personnel. Nigeria is demanding justice for these deaths, affirming the president's priority for citizen safety and the ongoing arrangements for voluntary repatriation flights.

South Africa, as Africa's most industrialized nation, has a long history of attracting people from across the continent seeking work. However, this has also led to repeated waves of xenophobic and anti-migrant protests, with violence predominantly targeting people of African origin. While South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the attacks, he has also cautioned foreigners to respect local laws. During his Freedom Day address, he reminded South Africans of the support other African nations provided during the struggle against apartheid. Similarly, South Africa’s acting police minister condemned the anti-immigrant violence, stating that such attacks were "unlawful" and violated the country's constitutional values of dignity and equality, vowing that "acts of xenophobia, violence, looting or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Despite official condemnations, some South Africans accuse foreigners of being in the country illegally, taking jobs from locals, and having links to crime, particularly drug trafficking. Anti-immigrant groups have been observed stopping individuals outside hospitals and schools, demanding to see identity papers, and urging foreign-owned businesses to close during marches to avoid violence. Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu also alleged a "repetitive wave" of xenophobic patterns flaring up "especially prior to elections in South Africa," with opposition parties leveraging the situation to garner votes, ahead of municipal elections scheduled for November 4.

The current crisis extends beyond Nigeria, with reports of four Ethiopian nationals also killed recently and attacks on citizens from other African countries. The regional impact is significant; Ghana, for instance, summoned South Africa's top envoy after a video surfaced showing a Ghanaian man being challenged over his immigration papers. Furthermore, the National Restoration Party (NAREP) of Zambia has strongly condemned the attacks as a "serious failure of governance" by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress (ANC). NAREP president, Ezra Ngulube, called the violence a betrayal of Pan-African values, urging immediate and firm action from the South African government to halt the violence, prosecute perpetrators, and strengthen protections for foreign nationals. Ngulube also appealed to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to engage South Africa for "lasting solutions," emphasizing that "xenophobia has no place in our continent."

Anti-immigrant sentiment intensified earlier this year following reports that the head of the Nigerian community in KuGompo (formerly East London) had been installed in a traditional role seen by some local South Africans as an attempt to grab political power. According to the statistics agency, South Africa is home to approximately three million foreigners, constituting 5.1 percent of its population, though many more are believed to be residing unofficially. Most migrants originate from neighboring countries like Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, which have historical ties of providing migrant labor, with a smaller number coming from Nigeria.