Nigeria is planning a "voluntary repatriation" of citizens living in South Africa amid fears that anti-immigration attacks on Africans could spike, the foreign ministry said.
South Africa -- the continent's most industrialised nation -- has seen repeated waves of xenophobic and anti-migrant protests, including renewed violence in recent weeks that has targeted mostly people of African origin.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said on Sunday that 130 people had indicated they wanted to return home.
"This figure is expected to rise," she said in a statement on social media, adding that "Nigerian lives and businesses in SA must not continue to be put at risk."
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said at least two Nigerians -- Amamiro Chidiebere Emmanuel and Nnaemeka Matthew Andrew -- died in two separate incidents involving South African security personnel last month.
South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said he and Odumegwu-Ojukwu agreed in talks on Monday to deepen cooperation.
"We reflected on the challenges posed by irregular migration and committed to working to address the root causes, find common and sustainable solutions to this shared concern," he said in a statement.
South Africa's acting high commissioner in Abuja is set to meet Nigerian officials on Monday for discussions on "documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses", foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa said over the weekend.
The foreign minister alleged that a "repetitive wave" of a "xenophobic pattern" flares up "especially prior to elections in South Africa, and anti-foreigner opposition parties leverage this situation to garner votes".
South Africa holds municipal elections on November 4.
The country's acting police minister last week condemned anti-immigrant violence, saying attacks on foreign nationals were "unlawful" and violated the constitutional values of dignity and equality.
"Acts of xenophobia, violence, looting or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances," Firoz Cachalia said.
According to the statistics agency, some three million foreigners, or 5.1 percent of the population, live in the country.
More than 63 percent come from countries in the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc.
AFP
