EXODUS: Here are the countries repatriating citizens from SA during anti-foreigner protests

Hundreds of foreign nationals are being evacuated by their governments from South Africa as a 30 June threat against them looms and xenophobic protests spread.

An exodus of foreigners is under way as governments help their citizens flee xenophobic attacks in South Africa, ahead of an ominous 30 June deadline.

Nigeria is planning to fly between 2,000 and 4,000 of its people home. Mozambique has already bused out 545 nationals and is ready to evacuate more.

The Malawian government announced this week that it would also help its citizens leave South Africa. Last week, Ghana arranged a charter flight which airlifted 297 Ghanaians home from OR Tambo International Airport. Officials said another flight would be deployed, but it is not yet clear when.

These foreign governments are reacting to a surge of attacks on their citizens and also to the 30 June deadline set by South African anti-immigrant vigilante groups for all illegal immigrants to leave the country.

The Mozambique Council of Ministers decided on Tuesday that it was ready to evacuate 1,000 citizens, the government’s Information Office said in a statement.

It said it was reacting to xenophobic attacks on its citizens since Friday, 29 May, mainly in Mossel Bay.

“Just over 800 Mozambicans residing in the Republic of South Africa were victims of xenophobic attacks last Friday, May 29th, specifically in the city of Mossel Bay, in the Western Cape province. Sadly, seven Mozambican citizens died, five as a direct result of the xenophobic attacks and two as a result of a traffic accident while travelling back to Mozambique in a private vehicle,” the information office said.

The SAPS has confirmed the deaths of two Mozambicans in Mossel Bay.

The Mozambique Council of Ministers said 300 Mozambicans had returned home on their own over the weekend. Those remaining, just over 500, had sheltered in safe locations in the Western Cape. The government repatriation began on Monday.

The government said 545 Mozambicans had arrived at the Ressano Garcia border post on Wednesday in buses it had provided.

“Of the 584 citizens initially scheduled for repatriation, 545 completed the journey to national territory. The remainder have not yet arrived due to situations detected during the screening and immigration control process, such as the detention of a child by South African authorities for document verification and the withdrawal of some citizens before the completion of repatriation procedures.

“Mozambican authorities are monitoring the pending cases, in coordination with South African authorities, providing t