The government is facilitating the return of nearly 1,000 citizens as an anti-immigrant ultimatum in South Africa prompts a wider exodus of foreign nationals
Mozambique organises mass repatriation following attacks in South Africa
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The Mozambican government has launched a plan to repatriate almost 1,000 of its citizens from South Africa, following a surge in xenophobic violence targeting foreign residents, China’s Xinhua news agency reports.
The decision was announced by Ussene Isse, Mozambique’s health minister, who said that nine Mozambican nationals had lost their lives amid the recent unrest.
Authorities are currently coordinating with their South African counterparts to support Mozambican remaining in South Africa and organise their safe passage home.
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To date, the government estimates that roughly 884 Mozambican citizens have been affected by the hostility, with over 300 having returned home over the weekend, according to Xinhua.
Upon crossing the border, returnees are receiving food and essential aid before continuing to their final destinations, primarily in the southern provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane.
This mass movement coincides with a broader exodus of foreign nationals from South Africa, driven by a 30 June deadline issued by anti-immigrant vigilante groups, who have demanded that all illegal immigrants leave the country by that date.
