South Africa has apologized for the mass deportation of Nigerians. According to a report published by Associated Press, South Africa’s deputy foreign minister, Ibrahim Ibrahim, confirmed that Nigerians should not have been deported by the airport officials. “We wish to humbly apologize to them, and we have…We are apologizing because we deported a number of people who should not have been deported.”  Adding, “We are not a xenophobic country.”

According to the report:

Ibrahim said South African airport authorities did not properly check to determine whether the cards were authentic. He said South Africa was considering reopening a health clinic at the airport to ensure such deportations are not repeated. South Africa and Nigeria are allies, but also sometimes rivals for influence in Africa.  Click here to read the full report