Maputo, 8 Jul (AIM) – The Mozambican Government has pledged to promote professional reintegration of Mozambican nationals repatriated from South Africa following the current wave of xenophobia in that neighboring country.
According to the government spokesperson and Minister of State Administration, Inocêncio Impissa, speaking to reporters on Tuesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers (cabinet), the victims of xenophobia may be integrated in employment opportunities in Portugal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Impissa explained that the government is working with the Institute for Vocational Training and Labor Studies (IFPELAC) to professionally certify 1,363 repatriated Mozambican citizens.
According to Impissa, the initiative falls within the scope of existing labor cooperation memorandums between Mozambique, Portugal, and the United Arab Emirates.
“The government assessed the situation of citizens affected by the acts of xenophobia and anti-immigrant protests recorded in South Africa since June 30, 2026, which have intensified across several provinces of that country. The incidents were characterized by attacks on homes, arsons, looting, physical assaults, intimidation, and the forced expulsion of foreign citizens from the communities where they lived”, he said.
He added that the violence has been most intense in the provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and North West.
Out of the 1,363 repatriated citizens, 809 declared having a trade. Among these, bricklayers (363), artisans (102), and domestic workers (77) predominate, alongside painters, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers.
According to Impissa, the government is developing mechanisms to facilitate the professional reintegration of these citizens abroad, under labor cooperation agreements with Portugal and the UAE.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson revealed that there is a significant increase in the number of Malawian citizens in transit through Mozambique following the same wave of violence in South Africa.
“These citizens enter the country through the Ressano Garcia and Ponta do Ouro borders, concentrating at the Junta International and Interprovincial Terminal in Maputo before proceeding to Malawi. Since June, around 6,156 Malawian citizens have been transported to the Zóbwè border in Tete province, including 771 in recent days”, he said.
Discrimination against foreign nationals has also been leading to looting, displacement, harassment, and deadly riots, in informal settlements. The seven Mozambican nationals killed in xenophobic attacks have been repatriated
MR/Am/
