A plane carrying the first batch of 300 Ghanaian nationals evacuated from South Africa touched down at Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Wednesday, May 27, to emotional scenes of relief and gratitude. The evacuation comes amid escalating anti-immigrant tensions and targeted attacks on foreign-owned businesses in South Africa .
The returnees, who had been living in fear following renewed xenophobic violence, were welcomed by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, the flight did not only carry distressed traders and workers but also 26 Ghanaian nationals who had been detained in South African prisons for visa violations .
“We negotiated with the South African government that since we are evacuating our nationals, we don’t want anybody left behind in prison, and the South African government agreed with us,” Mr. Ablakwa told waiting reporters at the airport. He expressed profound gratitude to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his counterpart in the Foreign Ministry for their cooperation .
The minister confirmed that with the completion of this evacuation, no Ghanaian remains incarcerated in a South African prison for minor immigration offenses .
‘Lion’s Den’ Escape
The repatriation, which saw the government charter a flight from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, follows weeks of rising hostility. Local groups, including a movement known as “March and March,” have intensified protests against undocumented migrants, issuing a June 30 deadline for foreigners to leave the country. This has led to the looting of shops and harassment of African migrants in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal .
One of the returnees, Victor Atsu Togbe, described the situation as unbearable. “It has never been easy for us in South Africa over the past few weeks,” he said. “We want to thank the Ghanaian government for taking us out of the lion’s den” .
Rudolph, a salon owner who lived in South Africa for a decade, told local media he was abandoning his business permanently. “It’s not comfortable for us to stay here anymore. I think we will find peace at home,” he said .
Over 800 Registered to Leave
While Wednesday’s flight brought home 300 citizens, the crisis is far from over. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 800 Ghanaians have registered with the High Commission in Pretoria seeking evacuation. Authorities have indicated that additional flights are expected in the coming days to accommodate the remaining applicants .
South Africa’s Border Management Authority noted that a significant number of those leaving are undocumented, with many having overstayed their visas. However, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, has pointed to backlogs in the immigration processing system as a contributing factor to the legal status of some migrants .
Reintegration and Warning
As the returnees—many in tears—reunited with their families, Minister Ablakwa assured them of government support. He reiterated promises of psycho-social support and financial reintegration packages to help them restart their lives in Ghana .
In a stern warning to those who attacked Ghanaian nationals, the Minister cautioned, “If you mess around with Ghanaians anywhere in the world, thinking that they are orphaned or nobody cares about them, you are mistaken. And you are making a mess of yourself” .
The Ghanaian government has officially summoned South Africa’s envoy over the attacks and continues to monitor the safety of its citizens who choose to remain in the Southern African nation .
