Nigeria's parliament has suspended all official visits and legislative engagements with South Africa in protest of ongoing anti-migrant violence. The diplomatic boycott follows years of recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where local protesters blame foreign nationals for high unemployment and crime. Nigerian officials report that at least 98 Nigerians have been killed in hate-related violence and extrajudicial incidents since 2022, prompting thousands of voluntary evacuations.
Nigeria parliamentary boycott
- ▪The Nigerian parliamentary travel ban applies to lawmakers, committees, and staff, but does not restrict official visits and meetings conducted by the executive branch of the Nigerian government
- ▪Nigeria's National Assembly suspended all official visits, legislative activities, and virtual engagements with South Africa on September 11, 2026, in protest of anti-immigrant violence
Anti-migrant violence
- ▪Anti-migrant protesters in South Africa set an unofficial June 30, 2026, deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave, which triggered heightened tensions and violence
- ▪In September 2026, anti-migrant marchers in Durban, South Africa, descended on an encampment of Congolese nationals, resulting in violent clashes
Nigerian casualties
- ▪Two Nigerian citizens were killed in South Africa in June 2026 during anti-migrant violence, with one allegedly killed by police and the other by unidentified attackers
- ▪At least 98 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa since 2022 in mob attacks, hate-related violence, and extrajudicial killings, according to Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye
Migrant displacement
- ▪South African government figures state that nearly 90,000 people have been voluntarily repatriated or deported since tensions began, while home countries of the migrants estimate the total at 178,000
- ▪A total of 1,695 Nigerian citizens were voluntarily evacuated from South Africa in 2026 due to xenophobic tensions, according to Nigeria's acting high commissioner in Pretoria
South African xenophobia drivers
- ▪South Africa's relative wealth and industrialised economy have historically made the country a major destination for both documented and undocumented migrants from across the African continent
- ▪Protesters in South Africa blame foreign nationals for high unemployment rates, crime, and excessive pressure on public services, amid broader government failures and weak social services
Nigeria-South Africa diplomatic tensions
- ▪During the July 2026 bilateral talks in Abuja, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola stated that the South African government condemns all forms of xenophobia
- ▪South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola met with Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye in Abuja in July 2026 to discuss the recurring attacks and ease bilateral tensions
Debatable claims
- ▪Nigeria's parliamentary boycott of South Africa is a justified response to anti-migrant violence
- ▪South Africa should implement stricter deportation policies for undocumented migrants
- ▪Migrants are the primary cause of South Africa's economic and social crises
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