South African government has slammed a five-year travel ban on the 268 Nigerians cleared for repatriation after declaring them illegal residents.

The Department of Home Affairs said shortly before their departure from OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday that all 268 would be declared “undesirable” and barred from re-entering the country for five years under the Immigration Act.

Head of Immigration Enforcement, Stephen van Neel, confirmed the development as buses conveyed the group to the airport for a chartered flight scheduled to depart after midnight.

Speaking to a local channel – Newzroom Afrika – at the airport, he said that another batch of cleared evacuees would leave the country on Monday, June 15.

According to Van Neel, about 1,000 Nigerians registered for repatriation, and 500 had been cleared. The 268 departing first were all undocumented.

“None of the 268 Nigerian nationals who arrived at OR Tambo International Airport for repatriation on Wednesday are in South Africa legally. Not a single person of the 268 is legal,” he said.

explained that checks against Home Affairs’ system and interviews confirmed their illegal status, adding that the Nigerian Embassy had to issue emergency travel documents for the process.

“If a visitor’s passport or visa has expired, it is no longer a valid document, and the visitor is residing in the country illegally,” he said.

Van Neel said one-on-one interviews were also conducted to identify issues such as custody battles that could lead to wrongful repatriation of children.

Six buses, according to the channel, transported the group to the airport, where police and immigration officials checked documents before clearing passengers for departure.

Countries including Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have already carried out similar repatriations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced new measures to tackle illegal immigration but warned against xenophobia, racism and vigilantism. (Vanguard)