The final batch of 40 stranded Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, bringing to a close the Federal Government’s evacuation exercise that returned a total of 1,174 citizens.

The returnees landed on Friday night aboard a chartered Air Peace flight, marking the sixth and final phase of the evacuation programme.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the exercise was carried out through six flights operated by Air Peace and ValueJet.

According to the commission, the first five batches brought home 258, 266, 262, 282 and 66 Nigerians, while the final chartered Air Peace flight evacuated the remaining 40 stranded citizens.

Balogun said the returnees expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for approving the evacuation from South Africa. They also thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Acting Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, Temitope Alexander-Ajayi, and NiDCOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for facilitating their safe return.

The evacuees were received at the airport by NiDCOM officials, who also announced a series of support packages from government agencies, corporate organisations and individuals.

According to the statement, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State approved a grant of N1 million for each returnee from the state. Telecommunications company MTN also donated free SIM packs with N50,000 worth of data and pledged to credit each returnee’s bank account with N100,000.

Officials from the Edo and Delta State governments similarly announced assistance for their indigenes among the evacuees.

The commission added that the JAAL Foundation pledged empowerment support for 50 female returnees, while the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Dr Chibuzor Gift Chinwe, was commended for providing free accommodation for about 52 returnees, skills acquisition opportunities for their families and free education for their children up to university level.

The returnees also acknowledged Pastor Bolaji Idowu of Harvesters Church for donating N100,000 each to 66 evacuees, while real estate firm Cruxstone provided financial support to the first batch of returnees.

Balogun said officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other security agencies were present at the airport to receive and document the returnees.

“The returnees were full of gratitude for the donations, support and warm welcome received,” the statement said.

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and the UN Migration Agency, IOM have welcomed the entry into force today of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum as an opportunity to move beyond crisis-driven responses and implement a more predictable, fair and effective approach to the issues across Europe.

EU Member States should seize this moment to strengthen migration management and refugee protection while advancing solidarity and responsibility-sharing in line with European values and international obligations, the agencies’ chiefs said.

“The Pact’s entry into full effect today is an important step toward a more predictable and coherent European migration system. What matters now is steady implementation over time that is effective, humane, sustainably resourced and grounded in cooperation,” said Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration. “The priority is turning the reforms into practical results for States, communities, and people on the move.”

The Pact aims to make EU asylum systems more efficient and consistent, offering a structured framework for Member State cooperation. This can reduce backlogs while maintaining the quality of assessments, provide greater certainty for asylum-seekers, and enable refugees to begin rebuilding their lives and contributing to their communities sooner.

“This Pact is an important step in the right direction, advancing shared responsibility and more predictable, sustainable approaches across the European Union,” said Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “UNHCR stands ready to support all Member States in strengthening asylum systems – ensuring access to protection for those in need, upholding human rights and dignity, and enabling safe, lawful and dignified returns for those not in need of international protection.”

IOM and UNHCR welcome the EU’s renewed focus on partnerships with all affected countries. Reducing irregular movements means addressing root causes, ensuring access to protection, tackling smuggling networks, and enabling safe, regular pathways. The organizations will continue to support route-based approaches that ensure policies deliver on protection, dignity and shared responsibility, while contributing to sustainable solutions that benefit both countries and communities along migration routes.

UNHCR and IOM welcome several key elements of the Pact, including earlier identification of people with specific needs, strengthened legal assistance, and new independent monitoring mechanisms at external borders. Returns of those with no legal right to stay must be both effective and humane. Alongside enforcement, they should ensure access to informed voluntary return, early case management, and reintegration support, working with countries of origin, transit and first asylum as part of a balanced approach that upholds dignity and fundamental rights.

These measures can help ensure that asylum processing and return procedures are faster and fairer, reducing uncertainty for asylum-seekers while strengthening public confidence in the migration and asylum system.

UNHCR and IOM stress that implementation will be the decisive test. Procedures must be carried out with adequate safeguards to ensure that no one is returned or transferred to a situation where they may face persecution, conflict or other forms of serious harm.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)  has  welcomed the visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Lampedusa, describing it as  a powerful reaffirmation that migrants and refugees must remain at the centre of global efforts to save lives and uphold our shared humanity. 

“Lampedusa has become a symbol of both unimaginable loss and extraordinary compassion,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. “Pope Leo XIV’s visit reminds us that behind every migration statistic is a human life. We have a shared responsibility to save lives, protect human dignity and ensure that no one has to risk their life in search of safety or opportunity.” 

The visit comes as the Central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 26,000 migrants have died or gone missing along this route since 2014. In 2026 alone, at least 865 people have already been reported dead or missing, despite a significant decline in arrivals to Italy. 

Since 2006, IOM has been present in Lampedusa, working alongside Italian authorities and partners to support people arriving by sea from the moment they are rescued, through the first stages of arrival and reception, during their stay at the hotspot, and throughout their transfer from the island. 

During his visit, Pope Leo XIV stopped at Molo Favaloro, the main landing point for migrants arriving in Italy by sea, where he blessed a plaque dedicating the site to Pope Francis, whose 2013 visit to Lampedusa drew the world’s attention to the suffering of migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean and warned against the “globalization of indifference.” 

More than a decade later, that message remains as urgent as ever. While migration routes and patterns continue to evolve, the humanitarian imperative remains unchanged: lives must be protected, vulnerable people must be assisted, and human dignity must remain at the centre of all responses. 

The visit also reflects Pope Leo XIV’s own calls to uphold the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees. Earlier this year, the Holy Father reaffirmed that every migrant is a person whose inalienable rights must be respected and stressed that efforts to combat criminality and human trafficking should never come at the expense of the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

Echoing this call, IOM continues to advocate for international cooperation, effective action against migrant smuggling and trafficking networks, greater investment in safe, regular and orderly migration pathways, and a steadfast commitment to protection. 

As Pope Leo XIV visits Lampedusa, IOM reiterates its commitment to supporting migrants, assisting governments and working with partners to build migration systems that save lives, protect human dignity and are safe, orderly and humane.