Nigerians recently evacuated from South Africa following renewed fears of xenophobic attacks have urged prospective migrants to think twice before relocating to the country, recounting how they returned home after losing businesses, property and years of investment.
The latest batch of 271 evacuees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard an Air Peace flight arranged by the Federal Government as part of the ongoing voluntary evacuation exercise.
Several of the returnees said they were forced to abandon their homes, businesses and personal belongings while fleeing for safety amid growing insecurity.
One of the evacuees, Emmanuela Akagosu, said years of hard work in South Africa came to an abrupt end after repeated threats compelled her to leave the country.
She explained that she managed to return to Nigeria with only a few personal belongings, adding that difficulties in securing legal residency documents left many Nigerians vulnerable.
Another returnee, Sandy Oris from Anambra State, described his 14-year stay in South Africa as a painful experience, alleging that his business was destroyed during the latest wave of attacks.
According to him, years of investment were wiped out, leaving him with no option but to return home.
He said the experience had convinced him that no economic opportunity was worth risking one’s life, expressing hope of rebuilding his future in Nigeria.
The returnees appealed to the Federal Government and state authorities to provide support that would enable them to restart their lives, noting that many arrived home without savings, businesses or other means of livelihood.
In response, the Edo State Government announced plans to receive and reintegrate returnees from the state through transportation support and welfare assistance to ease their resettlement.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission also disclosed that several private organisations and religious bodies had contributed financial support and relief materials to assist the evacuees as they begin life afresh.
For many of the returnees, the evacuation marked the end of years spent abroad and the beginning of the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after losing everything to the crisis.
