With anti-foreigner protests flaring up again, Nigeria is now moving to bring more than 1,000 of its citizens home from South Africa. cbinews.tv reports that the decision follows a familiar pattern of unrest and tough questions about migration across Africa.

Nigeria is getting ready to repatriate more than 1,000 of its nationals from South Africa as anti-immigrant tensions continue to rise, cbinews.tv reports.

For years, South Africa has been a key destination for both documented and undocumented African workers, but the mood is shifting.

The move from Abuja comes shortly after Ghana repatriated hundreds of its own citizens. That followed a wave of protests and violence targeting foreigners in South Africa, cbinews.tv said.

Screening for Nigeria’s voluntary repatriation scheme kicked off on Thursday. Foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed the details on Friday.

All of this has reignited uncomfortable conversations across Africa around xenophobia, migration, and the gap between pan African ideals and what migrants actually face on the ground.

Things are especially tense right now. One citizen led group has issued an ultimatum demanding that illegal migrants leave by June 30. That has sparked fears of more violence, especially given past bouts of anti immigrant unrest that have claimed dozens of lives.

The South African government says it is ramping up enforcement against undocumented immigrants. At the same time, it has urged citizens not to take matters into their own hands, cbinews.tv reports.

According to the statistics agency, more than three million foreigners live in South Africa. That is around 5.1 per cent of the population. More than 63 per cent of them come from countries in the 16 member Southern African Development Community bloc.

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