A total of 171 Malawian nationals have been repatriated from South Africa following growing concerns over xenophobic attacks and anti-migrant tensions in parts of the COUNTRY.
According to the Malawian Government, the returnees arrived home on Tuesday, June 9, after leaving the Mossel Bay area in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, where foreign nationals had reportedly sought refuge in temporary camps following incidents of intimidation and violence.
The group, comprising 115 men, 43 women and 13 children, is the first batch of Malawians to return under a voluntary repatriation programme organised by authorities in Malawi.
The repatriation comes amid a broader wave of departures by foreign nationals from South Africa. Governments including Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe have also arranged transport and evacuation measures for citizens wishing to return home.
The tensions have been fuelled by anti-migrant groups demanding that undocumented foreigners leave South Africa by 30 June.
The developments underscore growing concern across Africa over the safety of migrant communities in South Africa, which hosts millions of foreign nationals and continues to grapple with high unemployment and social tensions.