The first group of nearly 300 Ghanaians repatriated from South Africa amid rising anti-immigrant protests arrived in Accra on Wednesday.
The returnees were received at the airport by Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as patriotic songs played in the background during the welcome ceremony.
According to Ghanaian authorities, about 800 citizens have registered with the country’s High Commission in South Africa for evacuation flights, citing growing fears over their safety following renewed xenophobic attacks.
The Ghanaian government organised the repatriation exercise in response to escalating protests and violence targeting both documented and undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa.
One of the returnees recounted how he lost his business after his salon, which operated from a container shop, was looted during the attacks.
“I tried selling my salon but couldn’t find a buyer. I left and ran away because if you have life, you have everything. So I lost my salon,” he said.
Another returnee, Victor Atsu Togbe, described the recent weeks in South Africa as extremely difficult and thanked the Ghanaian government for helping citizens escape the crisis.
“It has never been easy for us in South Africa over the past few weeks,” he said, expressing gratitude for being taken “out of the lion’s den.”
South Africa, regarded as Africa’s most industrialised economy, has for years attracted migrants from across the continent seeking economic opportunities.
However, with unemployment remaining above 30 per cent, the country has experienced repeated outbreaks of xenophobic protests and violence directed at foreign nationals.
South African immigration authorities disclosed that only 10 people among the first repatriated group were legally residing in the country, while most had overstayed their visas.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, however, criticised delays in processing permit renewals, saying many migrants faced administrative challenges.
Ablakwa also revealed that 26 individuals on the flight had previously been detained by South African authorities over visa-related offences.
The minister assured the returnees that the Ghanaian government would provide psycho-social assistance and financial support to aid their reintegration.
“President Mahama says all of you should be given two special allowances. Transportation allowance, to wherever you live, wherever your homes are, and then there will be a reintegration allowance, a special package,” Ablakwa said.
According to the government, returnees will also be enrolled in a database designed to connect them with employment opportunities and start-up support programmes.
The latest tensions have reignited debates across Africa over migration, xenophobia, and the gap between pan-African ideals and the realities faced by migrants on the continent.
Concerns have also grown following an ultimatum reportedly issued by a citizen-led group in South Africa demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country by June 30.
Earlier this month, hundreds of migrants from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Somalia sought protection in the coastal city of Durban after reports that local groups were moving door-to-door demanding foreigners leave.
The South African government has since said it is intensifying enforcement against undocumented immigration while warning citizens against taking the law into their own hands.
According to South Africa’s statistics agency, more than three million foreign nationals currently live in the country, representing about 5.1 per cent of the population.
Over 63 per cent of the migrant population comes from countries within the Southern African Development Community bloc.
