Xenophobia in South Africa: Nigeria welcomes its first returnees

A first group of 262 Nigerians landed in Lagos on June 10 after leaving South Africa under a voluntary repatriation program, following xenophobic violence in Durban and Johannesburg. About 700 more Nigerians are waiting for additional flights, most of them undocumented. South Africa imposed a five-year entry ban on the returnees. The crisis also affected Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, and was marked by the death of two Nigerians in custody.