Il Nuovo Postiglione - Nigerians fleeing xenophobic attacks in South Africa return home

Anti-foreigner violence has convulsed South Africa for weeks as gangs armed with sticks, whips and shields have marched through parts of the "rainbow nation", demanding that people with no residency papers leave by June 30.

Foreign nationals have reported being intimidated and beaten by mobs going door to door, families have been forced from their homes, and many have left in the face of the threats.

Ghana, Mozambique and Malawi have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens in recent weeks.

South Africa is one of Africa's largest economies and hosts more than three million foreigners, just over five percent of its population, according to the country's statistics agency.

But unemployment exceeds 30 percent, fuelling anger toward migrant workers.

A chartered Air Peace plane carrying 262 Nigerian nationals -- most of them women and children -- landed at Lagos's Murtala Mohammed International Airport mid-morning on Thursday, said Nigeria's foreign ministry.

A South African government statement put the number flown out at 268.

Many wearing sweaters and thick coats, a reminder of the southern hemisphere winter from where they were coming, walked off the plane into the scorching Nigerian sun.

"South Africa is a wicked country," said one of the returnees, 45-year-old Emilia Godwin, who has lived in South Africa for 11 years, cooking and selling Nigerian food.

"They like eating our food, but they don't like us," she said.

Godwin said she had left all her possessions, coming back home with just a 23-kilogramme (51-pound) bag.

"Even when you apply to have your residence permit, they will use the opportunity to arrest you," she said.

Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye welcomed the first batch.

A second group is due to be flown out on June 15.

There are around 1,000 in total who have said they want to leave South Africa, the ministry has said.

- 'Undesirable persons' -

South African authorities said they had so far processed 586 Nigerian nationals for repatriation, all who were in South Africa "illegally", with police on Wednesday night having cited expired passports and visas.

"All affected individuals have been declared undesirable persons and are consequently prohibited from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years," the South African government said in a statement Thursday.

That was the case for Millie, 28, a mother of three who went with her father to South Africa at age six, and had never returned until now.

She said school teachers "are very biased towards" children who are not South African.

"But now, I feel like I am free but at the same time, I don't know what to expect," she told AFP.

But Justin Chukwu, 56, said he had been living fully legally in South Africa for nearly 30 years.

He had already left his home when he was informed of the shooting that killed 12 people early this week at an informal settlement in Johannesburg's Cleveland, where he lived.

"These guys... are unstoppable. You cannot stop them, police cannot go to them," said Chukwu, who sells second-hand clothes. He left behind his children, born to a South African mother.

"I have to save my life first," he said.

A Nigerian foreign ministry statement said the evacuation underscored the government's "proactive and decisive response to protect Nigerian lives and dignity in the face of violence and intolerance.

"No Nigerian should live in fear simply because of their nationality. The evacuation does not signal defeat," the statement added.

The Nigerian government has promised one million naira ($730) to each repatriated citizen.

South Africa has long been a destination for both legal and undocumented African workers. It has faced waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when dozens of migrants were killed and thousands forced to flee their homes.

The latest unrest comes as political parties gear up for local government elections in November in South Africa.

A.Rastelli--INP