Nigeria’s parliament halts South Africa visits amid attacks on immigrants

Nigeria’s National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa, including virtual engagements, in protest against recurring attacks on immigrants and Nigerian citizens. The suspension covers the assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff.

Why Nigeria’s parliament acted

Akin Rotimi, spokesman for the lower chamber, said the National Assembly could not ignore persistent attacks on citizens abroad. Kamoru Ogunlana, clerk to Nigeria’s national assembly, said lawmakers were concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured and displaced, and of people losing businesses, investments, homes and other property.

Nigeria has repeatedly accused South Africa of not doing enough to prevent the violence. South Africa has attracted both documented and undocumented immigrants, while high unemployment, weak social services and crime have increasingly been blamed on migrants, analysts say. Read the context: South Africa Faces Rising Violence and Displacement Amid Anti-Immigrant Demonstrations.

Key figures

• At least 98 Nigerians were reported by Nigeria’s foreign ministry to have been killed in mob attacks, hate-related violence and extrajudicial killings since 2022.
• Two Nigerians were killed during anti-migrant violence in June, according to Nigeria’s foreign ministry.
• South African police said at least four migrants were killed in violence linked to the recent tensions.
• South African government figures record almost 90,000 voluntary repatriations or deportations, while migrants’ home governments put the total at about 178,000.

Recent attacks and diplomatic tensions

In Durban last week, marchers attacked an encampment of Congolese nationals, leading to violent clashes. Protesters have also gone door-to-door in some cases, removing people from their homes and taking them to waiting police vans. People with legal documents have also been caught up in the violence.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, discussed the recurring attacks with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola in Abuja in July. Nigeria’s foreign ministry said one of the Nigerians killed in June was allegedly killed by police officers and the other by unidentified attackers.