The government of Ghana has completed its three-phase evacuation of Ghanaians in South Africa, with the final batch of 342 returnees touching down at the Accra International Airport on Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2026, bringing the total number of evacuees to 979.
The first batch of 297 arrived in the country last week, followed by a second group of 340 on Saturday night, June 6. Sunday’s arrival completes the emergency airlift coordinated by the Foreign Ministry and Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria amid recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The returnees, visibly emotional and relieved, sang and offered prayers upon arrival, with many expressing gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for the intervention.
A government delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson and Deputy Chief of Staff in Charge of Finance and Administration, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, received the returnees at the airport.
Mr Quayson described the xenophobic attacks as “an isolated case” and urged the evacuees to forgive and focus on rebuilding their lives.
“Everything happens for a reason in life. It’s about how you process it. I want to believe that this is an isolated case. Even though it has happened before, I strongly believe that South Africa will come around and be part of the African community. We also have to learn to forgive our enemies — it’s part of your healing,” he said.
He attributed the tensions in South Africa to despair, drugs, and exploitation by what he described as “cheap politicians,” and reminded the evacuees of Ghana’s historical solidarity with South Africa during the apartheid era.
“This is Mandela’s South Africa, where we all fought for them. Some even got Ghanaian passports when they were fighting for apartheid to end,” he said.
Mr Quayson assured the returnees that the government was committed to supporting their reintegration, noting that all evacuees had been registered into a database and that agencies and businesses were ready to assist.
Resettlement support
Deputy Chief of Staff Nana Oye Bampoe Addo assured the returnees of comprehensive resettlement packages, including access to jobs, health insurance, and national identification.
She said the National Apprenticeship Programme, activated through the National Youth Authority, would be made available to craftsmen among the returnees, while the National Health Insurance Authority and the National Identification Authority were on hand at the airport to register all returnees free of charge.
