Pretoria — Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa has announced that the first group of approximately 300 Ghanaian nationals will depart for home on Wednesday following screening at the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria.
The High Commissioner stated that screening for the voluntary repatriation began on Monday morning, with the Department of Home Affairs Border Management Authority (BMA) conducting the process at the commission. He confirmed that the group is scheduled to fly out from Johannesburg on Wednesday.
“We want them to go home. We should all fix our economies,” the High Commissioner said, emphasizing Ghana’s position.
He explained that the evacuations address safety concerns for Ghanaian citizens amid ongoing intimidation and demonstrations. While acknowledging the issue of illegal immigration, the High Commissioner stressed that problems should be handled civilly without individuals taking the law into their own hands.
He cited specific incidents that have heightened fears, including a mayor issuing a 30-day ultimatum to Ghanaian business owners, seizing office keys, and handing them over to locals. “Most of them are very legal in the country,” he noted, adding that such unilateral actions create an environment of insecurity.
The High Commissioner revealed that Ghana plans to repatriate close to 810 nationals in three batches. The first flight departs Wednesday, followed by a second on Sunday and a third the following Wednesday. The returnees include both some who are undocumented and others who are simply weary of recurring tensions, which he described as xenophobic attacks that periodically lead to loss of lifetime investments.
The group comprises a mix of professionals and business owners, including those in the salon business, teachers, and doctors. Many among the “legal” migrants had submitted permit renewal applications that had not yet been processed.
The High Commissioner expressed confidence that the full 300 passengers for Wednesday’s flight would be ready, noting that many had already arrived at the High Commission with suitcases for registration. He said the returnees have clearly indicated they do not intend to return to South Africa and will instead be reintegrated into Ghanaian society.
The Ghanaian government has prepared a reintegration package to support their return and help them become productive citizens back home.
“This is why we are here,” the High Commissioner said. “We are also helping the South African government and sending a signal that we are able to take care of our own.”
The repatriation comes despite repeated statements from South African authorities that there are no xenophobic attacks in the country.
