A Nigerian woman who recently returned from South Africa has opened up about the difficulties her family faced after spending more than a decade in the country without legal residence permits.

According to her, she lived in South Africa for 11 years, while her husband spent 12 years there. She said the absence of valid documentation made life challenging, limiting access to stable employment opportunities and exposing the family to various forms of discr!mination.

Speaking about her experiences, the returnee alleged that foreigners often encountered hostility and difficulties accessing certain services, including healthcare.

She recalled a particularly painful experience following the birth of one of her daughters at a South African hospital. According to her, a nurse allegedly instructed her to clean the hospital floor shortly after childbirth despite her condition at the time.

The woman claimed the situation changed after the nurse realized she could not speak the local language and identified her as a foreigner. She said the incident left her feeling humiliated and unfairly treated because she was not a South African citizen.

She also alleged that her children faced discrimination while attending school. According to her, they were at times overlooked for awards and recognition, leading them to question whether their treatment was linked to their nationality.

The returnee said those experiences caused emotional strain for the family during their years in the country.

Despite the challenges, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to return to Nigeria with her family and thanked those who assisted in the process.

“I want to thank the Nigerian government and everyone involved in this. I just want to tell them that God bless them because this is a great opportunity,” she said.

Her account comes amid ongoing discussions about the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa following recent anti-immigrant demonstrations and concerns over xenophobia.