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Nigerian Richard Itoro is not sure when he will see his twin children again.
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he → see → children
Fearing for his safety as the anti-migrant protests cranked up in South Africa this year, the 47-year-old left his family and business behind in Johannesburg and boarded one of the voluntary repatriation flights to Nigeria in June.
His is just one of many experiences that is fuelling diplomatic tension and threatening to rupture relations between South Africa and other countries on the continent.
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that → fear → continent
Tens of thousands of foreigners have left the country over the past two months.
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thousands → leave → months
"It was painful for me to leave [the] person who's my best friend," Itoro tells the BBC, with tears welling up, as he reflects on saying goodbye to his South African wife.
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he → leave → wife
Over 15 years, he had built up a car-dealership business, bought a home and created a family.
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he → build → family
That is now all gone for him.
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That → go → him
Itoro became the target of harassment but his wife was not spared the intimidation.
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wife → become → intimidation
He says his neighbours told her: "You're married to a Nigerian.
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You → say → Nigerian
Those of you who are married to Nigerians we are supposed to arrest you people.
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we → suppose → you
"You guys betrayed us.
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guys → betray → us
Itoro was baffled.
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Itoro → baffle → ?
I had no issues with anybody."
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I → have → anybody
The pressure became too much.
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pressure → become → ?
"If I go home and start all over again, it's better than being here, being harassed, being scared for my life," Itoro says.
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Itoro → go → life
But, the businessman says, the Nigerian high commission would not let his wife and children travel with him.
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wife → say → him
He describes how leaving felt like a movie where someone boards the last helicopter flight out of a besieged city.
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someone → describe → city
"I wish I could have just begged the people from the embassy and said: 'This is my wife, I can't leave her behind and my kids,' but I couldn't.
"So my car started departing and I wished I had told her not to cry."
The anti-migrant groups in South Africa said their protests were aimed at undocumented foreigners.
uncertain
protests → wish → foreigners
The country's outspoken Culture Minister, Gayton McKenzie, who leads one of the parties in the coalition government, also emphasised this point.
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who → lead → point
"We say South Africa is open to our brothers on the continent but come here legitimately.
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Africa → say → continent
Come with your papers," he told the BBC's Interview programme.
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he → come → programme
But Itoro says his legal status did not protect him from hostility as he shows the BBC a copy of the document that he says proves he had the right to stay in the country.
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he → say → country
He was not alone, according to the Nigerian authorities.
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He → accord → authorities
"We have records of Nigerians who have legitimate papers to remain in South Africa, yet they have been attacked
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they → have → Africa
," Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye said during a recent meeting with South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.
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Enikanolaiye → say → Minister
The temperature was raised last week following the death of a Nigerian who was killed as police were arresting him over suspected drug offences.
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police → raise → offences
An independent body is now investigating.
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body → investigate → ?
Lamola maintained that South Africa deals with those who take the law into their own hands, but added that President Cyril Ramaphosa was also "very firm on South Africa's sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws".
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Ramaphosa → maintain → laws
Despite the diplomatic efforts, South Africa's reputation has been severely damaged.
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reputation → damage → efforts
Not all of them were what they were purported to be, but one, involving a Ghanaian, was genuine and it sparked huge concern once it started being shared in April.
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it → purport → April
When Emmanuel Asamoah left Ghana in 2023 for South Africa, he was chasing the kind of opportunity many migrants dream about.
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migrants → leave → opportunity
The 37-year-old hairstylist settled in Soweto, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, found work, built a life and believed he had a future in one of Africa's biggest economies.
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he → settle → economies
But three months ago that future suddenly felt uncertain when he was surrounded by a group of South Africans who demanded that he leave.
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he → feel → Africans
The confrontation was captured on video.
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confrontation → capture → video
"This thing of you guys moving from one country to another… is no longer working," one woman can be seen telling Asamoah.
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woman → move → Asamoah
"Now, we are making it very clear to you guys, we don't want you here.
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we → make → guys
We want you to fix your countries."
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you → want → countries
Having returned to Ghana's capital, Accra, in May, Asamoah tells the BBC that the encounter left him terrified.
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encounter → return → him
"They came to me and started pushing me...
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They → come → me
So, they started asking questions and harassing me…
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they → start → me
they said that I should go home, that we are spoiling their country, because of us, they don't eat, we are taking their girlfriends," he says.
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he → say → girlfriends
…and 74 more, not listed.
