By Francis Kobena Tandoh
The first batch of Ghanaian evacuees from South Africa has arrived safely at the Accra International Airport in the national capital on Wednesday, following renewed xenophobic tensions and anti-immigrant protests in parts of South Africa.
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.
A government delegation led by the Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa received the returnees at the airport in Accra.
Officials say the evacuees will receive temporary accommodation support, counselling, transportation assistance, reintegration packages, and access to employment or startup opportunities.
According to Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, 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
