The Kenyan government has started facilitating the return of undocumented Kenyans living in South Africa, with the High Commission in Pretoria issuing a safe passage notice to help affected citizens access emergency travel documents.
According to the notice dated June 26, the repatriation exercise will run from Saturday, June 27, to July 3 and targets Kenyans with irregular immigration status who wish to return home.
Kenya’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Elizabeth Choge, said Kenyans from different parts of the country would be travelling to the High Commission in Pretoria to obtain the necessary travel documents before their return.
“This is to inform you that there are going to be some Kenyans from different parts of South Africa who will be traveling to the Kenya High Commission in Pretoria between June 27 and July 3, 2026,” read the notice.
The High Commission also requested that the South African authorities grant the Kenyans permission to travel safely to Pretoria even without proper immigration papers.
“Please give them safe passage,” read the notice.
The campaign follows a situation whereby over 50 Kenyans asked the government for help due to the increasing attacks on foreigners in parts of South Africa.
According to some of those affected, they have been forced to leave their homes due to the violence, whereas others claim that their property was looted and destroyed.
The situation has since been exacerbated in the past few weeks following reports that some anti-immigrant organizations have issued ultimatums requiring that foreign nationals vacate certain areas by the end of June.
Several other people have lost their jobs due to the increasing trend of boycotts of foreigners in a number of communities.
It is estimated by the Kenyan Government that about 27,000 Kenyans reside in South Africa. The Kenyan High Commission in Pretoria and the Kenyan Diaspora in South Africa Association (KEDASA) estimate that when students, researchers and travelers to South Africa are counted, the figure increases to around 40,000.
Previously, Roseline Njogu, the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, directed that priority be given to the issuance of travel documents to those Kenyans whose passports and identification papers were stolen during the attacks.
The High Commission was also required to put up temporary safe houses for displaced Kenyans pending their repatriation flight back home.
Kenya follows in the footsteps of a number of African countries like Nigeria, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are assisting their citizens to evacuate from South Africa.
