The final group of Ghanaians stranded in South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks is expected to arrive in the country today, Saturday, July 25, as the government concludes its emergency evacuation exercise.
The operation marks the last phase of a large-scale repatriation programme for nearly 900 Ghanaians who voluntarily registered to return home after escalating attacks on foreign nationals raised concerns about their safety and livelihoods.
Today’s arrival follows earlier evacuation flights that safely brought hundreds of Ghanaians back to the country, bringing the government’s emergency response to a close.
Speaking on July 14, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, said the evacuation was made possible through the intervention of the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following growing concerns over the welfare and security of Ghanaians living in South Africa.
Addressing members of the Ghanaian community, Mr Quashie disclosed that 926 Ghanaians had already been repatriated during the initial phases of the exercise, with the remaining registered individuals scheduled to return from July 25.
“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.
He explained that the remaining evacuees would be flown home in phases until every registered Ghanaian had safely returned.
According to the High Commissioner, once the exercise is completed, the government will end the special evacuation programme. Any Ghanaian wishing to return home afterward will receive assistance through the country’s regular consular services rather than emergency repatriation arrangements.
Mr Quashie commended President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for facilitating the exercise, describing it as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to the welfare and safety of Ghanaians abroad.
The evacuation follows weeks of uncertainty among Ghanaians in South Africa, many of whom were forced to seek shelter and eventually opted to return home after xenophobic attacks disrupted their lives and threatened their safety.
The issue has also received attention at the highest diplomatic level.
Earlier this week, President Mahama revealed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had dispatched a delegation to Ghana to discuss the recurring attacks on foreign nationals.
Speaking during a meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, July 22, President Mahama said he had urged the South African delegation to be more open in addressing the recurring violence.
He stressed that Ghana’s concerns were not intended to undermine relations between the two countries but to encourage transparency and safeguard the lives of African nationals living in South Africa.
With the arrival of the final batch of evacuees, the government is expected to bring its emergency repatriation exercise to a close, offering relief to hundreds of Ghanaian families reunited after weeks of uncertainty.
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