Keypoints:
- Ghana begins voluntary evacuation of citizens from South Africa
- Anti-immigrant protests trigger safety fears among migrants
- South African officials say many returnees lack legal status
AROUND 300 Ghanaian nationals gathered at Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday to board some of the first flights home as anti-immigrant protests and sporadic violence in South Africa intensified concerns over migrant safety.
Some passengers clutched Ghanaian flags and travel bags as they waited in long airport queues ahead of the voluntary repatriation exercise, which includes women and children. Authorities in both countries are reportedly processing a wider list of roughly 800 people who have expressed a desire to return home.
The departures come after weeks of demonstrations across South Africa, where campaigners have called for stricter immigration enforcement and accused undocumented migrants of contributing to rising crime and unemployment, prompting Ghana to prepare emergency evacuation measures for affected citizens.
Safety fears mount
Several protests in recent weeks have escalated into violence targeting migrants from other sub-Saharan African countries, heightening fears among foreign communities living in South Africa’s major cities.
South Africa has experienced periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence since 2008, with migrants from across the continent frequently targeted during periods of economic hardship and political tension.
One Ghanaian national preparing to depart said persistent harassment and insecurity had made daily life increasingly difficult.
‘I’m happy that I’m going to my country. It’s not easy to be in someone else’s country and be disturbed all the time,’ he said, declining to provide his name.
South African immigration officials overseeing the repatriation exercise said many of those leaving did not possess valid immigration documents.
Speaking to local broadcaster eNCA, an unidentified immigration official said only a small number of the 300 passengers were legally resident in the country.
‘What we found is that of the 300, only 10 of them are legal in the country, so quite a number of them are in non-compliance to our immigration act,’ the official said.
Ghana seeks to ease tensions
Benjamin Quashie, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, said the repatriation process was intended to reduce tensions while maintaining strong diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He said authorities were cooperating to ensure undocumented migrants willing to return home could do so peacefully.
‘The demonstrators have said they want us to work together. We must ensure that those who are undocumented are returned home and that institutions are allowed to function,’ Quashie said.
He also rejected suggestions that the situation had triggered a diplomatic dispute between Ghana and South Africa.
The Ghanaian government has not indicated whether additional evacuation flights will follow, though officials continue to assess requests from nationals seeking assistance while also pushing the African Union to confront rising xenophobia in South Africa.
Economic anger fuels migrant tensions
Migrant rights organisations have criticised the anti-immigration protests, arguing that foreign nationals are being unfairly blamed for South Africa’s long-running economic difficulties.
South Africa continues to struggle with unemployment above 30 percent, with Black South Africans disproportionately affected by the country’s economic stagnation.
Rights groups say migrants have increasingly become targets of frustration over housing shortages, crime, and limited economic opportunities. Anti-immigrant violence has also deepened fears among foreign communities already facing economic uncertainty.
South African authorities have publicly condemned attacks against foreign nationals and pledged stronger action against xenophobic violence, as President Cyril Ramaphosa faces mounting backlash over recurring xenophobic tensions.
Officials insist that violence and intimidation against migrants undermine the country’s constitutional values and democratic principles.
Reuters reported that officials from both countries are continuing discussions over the safe return of Ghanaian nationals while monitoring the evolving security situation.
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