Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, has announced that the final repatriation of about 900 Ghanaians who voluntarily opted to return home following recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa will commence on July 25.
The exercise marks the final phase of the government’s evacuation programme for affected Ghanaian nationals after earlier operations successfully repatriated hundreds of citizens.
Addressing members of the Ghanaian community in South Africa on Tuesday, July 14, Mr Quashie said the latest operation was made possible through the support of the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to concerns over the safety and welfare of Ghanaians caught up in the attacks.
According to him, about 926 Ghanaians have already been evacuated under previous phases of the exercise, with the remaining registered individuals expected to return during the final operation.
“We are going to do the final repatriation of close to 900 Ghanaians who have voluntarily given their names here in South Africa that they want to go,” he said.
Mr Quashie explained that the repatriation would be conducted in phases, with scheduled flights departing daily until all registered beneficiaries had been transported to Ghana.
He stressed that only individuals who had completed the registration and screening process would be eligible for the exercise, adding that no new registrations would be accepted.
The High Commissioner urged unregistered Ghanaians not to report to the High Commission expecting to be included in the final evacuation, explaining that the exercise would be based strictly on verified lists agreed upon with South African authorities.
He also advised beneficiaries to adhere to instructions issued by the High Commission and avoid travelling from various provinces until they had been officially informed of their departure dates.
Mr Quashie noted that once the final batch of about 900 Ghanaians had been repatriated, the mass evacuation programme would officially end, with any future requests for assistance to return to Ghana being handled through the country’s regular consular services.
READ ALSO:
Xenophobic attacks: I’ve lost my shop, home and peace – Ghanaian hairdresser stranded in…
