The Ghanaian government has evacuated 300 citizens from South Africa amid growing concerns over xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, with the first batch of returnees landing at Accra International Airport on Wednesday, 28 May. The evacuees are part of a larger group of more than 800 Ghanaian nationals registered with the country’s mission in South Africa who had sought government assistance to return home.

Who Arrived and What Support They Will Receive

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa received the returnees at the airport and confirmed that the group included 26 citizens who had been imprisoned in South Africa for visa-related offences. Ablakwa said the government had deployed professionals — including psychologists, medical doctors, and nurses — to provide psychosocial support to the evacuees.

Beyond immediate care, the government announced transport allowances to help returnees reach their home communities, as well as a reintegration allowance to assist them in settling back into Ghanaian society. Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency, welcomed the first batch and urged returnees to move past their difficult experiences and rebuild their lives.

Voices From the Ground

Victor Atsu Togbe, one of the evacuees who had lived in South Africa for 16 years, described how attacks on foreigners had made it increasingly impossible to sustain a livelihood. “We are happy to be back home,” he said. His account reflects a broader pattern of vulnerability reported by African migrants in parts of South Africa, where periodic outbreaks of anti-foreigner violence have displaced communities and disrupted livelihoods for years.

South Africa’s Official Response

Earlier this month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged both citizens and foreign nationals to respect the rule of law as his administration intensified efforts to address illegal migration. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa condemned the recent violent protests and criminal acts targeting foreign nationals, stating that such actions did not reflect the views of South Africans or government policy.

“These are the acts of opportunists who are exploiting the legitimate grievances, particularly those of the poor, under the false guise of ‘community activism’,” Ramaphosa said.

Ghana Takes the Issue to the African Union

This comes amid a broader diplomatic push by Accra: Ghana has formally requested that the African Union (AU) debate what it has described as “xenophobic attacks” against African nationals in South Africa at the upcoming African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit in June. The move signals that Ghana intends to internationalise the issue rather than treat it as a bilateral matter, potentially increasing pressure on Pretoria ahead of the summit.

Notably, this is not the first time South Africa has faced international scrutiny over xenophobic violence — large-scale attacks on foreign nationals were recorded in 2008, 2015, and 2019, each triggering diplomatic responses from affected countries across the continent. The latest evacuation underscores that the underlying tensions remain unresolved.

What Happens Next

With more than 500 additional Ghanaians still registered and awaiting repatriation, further evacuation flights are expected. The AU summit in June will be a critical test of whether the continent can forge a collective response to protect intra-African migrants — or whether the issue remains trapped in bilateral diplomatic channels.