Nigerians living in China lament more discrimination as they are now being evicted from their homes

NIGERIANS living in China have complained that they are stiff facing discrimination from the Chinese authorities in the way they are being treated despite recent protests by the Nigerian government over the discrimination they face.

Last mo nth, videos of the Chinese authorities singling Nigerians for particularly harsh treatment went viral, showing them being evicted from hotels and asked to go into addition 14-days quarantines even after they have been tested as negative. Across China, hundreds of Nigerians suddenly became destitute, surviving off handouts from foreign charities.

This led to an official from the high commission in Beijing confronting the Chinese foreign minister and in Abuja, the speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila invited the Chinese ambassador to the national Assembly to show him the videos and complain. With several viral videos on social media showing that scores of Nigerian students and businessmen in Guangzhou had been evicted from their apartments and hotel rooms by Chinese authorities, the Nigerian embassy began work on evacuating them.

Guangzhou is home to one of China’s largest African communities and has become a hub for African traders buying and selling goods to the continent. These recent viral videos show Nigerians lamenting the inhumane treatment they received from the Chinese authorities, who they said have not provided them with any alternative food or shelter since their eviction.

However, plans by Nigeria to immediately evacuate her citizens from China suffered a serious setback after 72 citizens in the city of Guangzhou tested coronavirus positive meaning that they cannot be airlifted immediately. On top of all these problems, more Nigerians have been evicted from their apartments in Guangzhou as racial discrimination swelled against Africans in the capital of the Guangdong Province.

Businessman Chukwudi Asogwa, said that he was evicted from his Baiyun district apartment on Wednesday, adding that he complained to the police but no action had been taken against the landlord. He confirmed that some Nigerians were provided hotel rooms by the Chinese government, noting that those seeking private apartments had yet to secure them.

Mr Asogwa, said: “We are tired of living in Guangzhou, we want to come back home. I am staying in a hotel because my landlord asked me to move out for no reason. I complained to the police but no action had been taken.

“The police have spoken with my landlord, but they didn’t tell me why the man evicted me. I have dispatched my personal effects to Nigeria and I’m merely waiting for the government to evacuate us.”

Some Nigerians also posted a video of a woman with two children who were staying on the streets on social media. In the footage, the unidentified woman was feeding her infant daughter as the older second child slept in a baby walker after she was evicted from her apartment.

However, the Chinese authorities said they had provided free hotel accommodation  for 207 Nigerians in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. Civil Liberties Organisation had said 300 Nigerians stranded in Guangzhou were facing starvation and homelessness on account of their alleged treatment by the Chinese authorities.