By Francis Kobena Tandoh
The government of Ghana on Wednesday evacuated the first batch of Ghanaian evacuees from South Africa following months of renewed xenophobic tensions and anti-immigrant protests.
The group, estimated at 300 people, was flown from Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport aboard a government-chartered flight as part of a voluntary repatriation exercise coordinated by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ghana’s High Commission in South Africa.
The returnees were met on arrival at the airport by a high-powered government delegation led by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Okudzeto Ablakwa welcomed the immigrants back home and assured them of the necessary assistance from the government.
According to officials, the evacuees will receive temporary accommodation support, counselling, transportation assistance, reintegration packages, and access to employment or startup opportunities.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, disclosed that more than 800 Ghanaians have registered for evacuation, with additional flights expected in the coming days.
The evacuation follows weeks of rising tensions in South Africa, where protests linked to unemployment, crime, and illegal immigration have triggered renewed hostility toward foreign nationals. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
