Kenya Issues Safe Passage Notice for Undocumented Citizens in South Africa as Repatriation Exercise Begins
The Kenyan government has moved to facilitate the return of undocumented citizens stranded in South Africa, issuing a special safe passage notice to enable hundreds of vulnerable nationals to access emergency travel documents ahead of a planned repatriation exercise.
In a notice dated Friday, June 26, Kenya’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Elizabeth Choge, confirmed that the exercise will run from Saturday, June 27, to Friday, July 3, 2026, targeting Kenyans living in South Africa with irregular immigration status.
The directive comes amid growing concerns over escalating anti-foreigner tensions in parts of South Africa, where dozens of Kenyans have reported losing homes, businesses and livelihoods following attacks targeting foreign nationals.
“This is to notify you that several Kenyans from various parts of South Africa will be travelling to the Kenya High Commission in Pretoria between 27th June and 3rd July 2026,” Choge said in the official communication.
She added: “Kindly note that some of these Kenyans have irregular status in South Africa and are hence proceeding to the High Commission in Pretoria to obtain travel documents to facilitate their repatriation back home by the Government of Kenya.”
Recognising that some of those seeking assistance may not possess valid immigration documents, the High Commission appealed directly to South African authorities to allow them to travel to Pretoria without interference.
“Please grant them safe passage,” the notice stated.
The announcement follows urgent appeals from at least 50 Kenyan nationals who formally requested government-assisted evacuation after violence and anti-immigrant demonstrations intensified across several South African communities.
Many of the affected Kenyans say they have been forced to flee their homes after attacks, while others claim their businesses and personal property were looted, vandalised or destroyed. Some have also reported losing their jobs as protests and boycotts targeting foreign workers continue to spread.
The situation has been compounded by several anti-immigrant groups issuing ultimatums demanding that foreign nationals vacate certain areas before June 30, raising fears of further unrest.
According to the Kenyan government, approximately 27,000 Kenyans reside in South Africa on a long-term basis. However, the Kenyan High Commission in Pretoria and the Kenyan Diaspora in South Africa (KEDASA) estimate the total Kenyan population at nearly 40,000, including students, researchers and short-term business travellers.
As the security situation deteriorated, Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu directed officials to fast-track the issuance of emergency travel documents for Kenyans who lost passports and identification papers during the unrest.
The government also instructed the Kenyan High Commission in Pretoria to establish temporary safe houses to shelter displaced citizens awaiting repatriation flights.
Kenya now joins several African nations—including Nigeria, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—that have launched government-assisted evacuation programmes to rescue citizens affected by the ongoing unrest in South Africa.
The repatriation exercise is expected to provide a critical lifeline to Kenyans left stranded as violence and anti-foreigner sentiment continue to create uncertainty for migrant communities across South Africa.
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