Nigeria suspends official visits to South Africa over anti-migrant violence

Nigeria’s parliament has banned official visits to South Africa in protest over continued violence against immigrants there, including attacks on Nigerian citizens.

“All official visits to the Republic of South Africa by the National Assembly, its Committees, lawmakers, officials and staff are hereby suspended,” Akin Rotimi, spokesman for the lower chamber, said in a statement on Friday.

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The ban extends even to virtual engagements, after months of anti-foreigner protests across South Africa that have driven tens of thousands of people to leave the country.

“The National Assembly cannot ignore persistent attacks on citizens abroad,” Rotimi said.

Kamoru Ogunlana, the clerk to Nigeria’s national assembly, said in a statement that parliament was “particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties as a result of recurring violent attacks”.

South Africa, one of the continent’s most industrialised economies, has long been a magnet for both undocumented and documented immigrants.

However, the nation is also saddled with high unemployment, weak social services and high crime, which is increasingly blamed on migrants despite decades of government failures, analysts say.

Nigeria has become particularly outspoken on the issue, accusing South Africa of not doing enough to stop the violence.

In an attack last week in Durban, marchers descended on an encampment of Congolese nationals, causing violent clashes.

In some cases, protesters have gone door-to-door and dragged people out of their homes and delivered them to waiting police vans.

Even people with legal documents have been caught up in the violence.

In June, two Nigerians were killed during anti-migrant violence in South Africa, just two days before an unofficial deadline set by protesters for foreigners to leave.

Nigeria’s foreign ministry said one was allegedly killed by police officers and the other by unidentified attackers.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, hosted South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola in Abuja in July to discuss the recurring attacks.

At that meeting, Enikanolaiye said at least 98 Nigerians had been killed since 2022 in mob attacks, hate-related violence and extrajudicial killings.

Tensions soared across South Africa after protesters set a June 30 deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave.

At least four migrants were killed in related violence, according to South African police, though some foreign governments say the toll is higher.

According to South Africa’s latest government figures, almost 90,000 people have either been voluntarily repatriated or have been deported since the migration tensions began. However, figures released by the governments of migrants’ home countries put the total at about 178,000.

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