Ex-Miss Universe Chidimma Adetshina Faces Fresh Deportation Battle in South Africa
Former Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, Chidimma Adetshina, has found herself at the centre of another legal battle in South Africa, where authorities are reportedly seeking her deportation over alleged immigration violations.
According to reports, the 25-year-old beauty queen appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court after she was arrested in the Summer Greens area of Cape Town earlier this month. South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs alleges that Adetshina and her minor son were living in the country without lawful immigration status. She was released on warning and is expected to return to court for further proceedings next month.
Immigration officials claimed they conducted checks through the country’s residency database and concluded that Adetshina did not possess valid legal documents permitting her to remain in South Africa. Authorities further alleged that she knowingly remained in the country in violation of the nation’s Immigration Act and are asking the court to approve her deportation.
The latest case is another chapter in the long-running nationality controversy surrounding Adetshina. In 2024, she withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant after facing intense public scrutiny over her citizenship and heritage. She later accepted an invitation to compete in Nigeria, where she won the Miss Universe Nigeria crown before finishing as the first runner-up at the global Miss Universe competition.
South African Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has also maintained that Adetshina’s South African identity documents were cancelled and that she was declared a prohibited person, making her ineligible to obtain a visa or remain in the country legally. Authorities further alleged that she re-entered South Africa unlawfully, claims that have become central to the ongoing court proceedings.
As the legal process continues, Adetshina has not publicly responded to the latest allegations. The case is expected to draw significant attention across Africa, given her prominence in the beauty pageant world and the wider debate surrounding citizenship, immigration and xenophobia in South Africa.
