First batch of Ghanaian nationals evacuated from South Africa following rising anti-immigrant tensions departed for Accra on Wednesday, Ghana’s Foreign Ministry confirmed.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to officials, about 800 Ghanaians are expected to leave South Africa after the Ghanaian government arranged repatriation flights in response to recent protests and violence targeting foreign nationals.
“The information I have indicates that the flight was delayed,” an aide to Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Fred Duhoe, told AFP, adding that the aircraft was eventually en route to Accra.
An AFP photographer reported seeing hundreds of Ghanaian nationals gathered at O.R. Tambo International Airport outside Johannesburg early Wednesday as they prepared to board the evacuation flight.
Flight-tracking platform FlightAware showed the aircraft departed shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time.
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa disclosed that approximately 300 people were scheduled to travel on the first flight expected to arrive in Accra later on Wednesday.
Ghana’s government also announced plans to provide returning citizens with reintegration financial support and psycho-social assistance to help them settle back home.
South Africa, regarded as Africa’s most industrialised economy, has historically attracted both documented and undocumented migrants from across the continent in search of economic opportunities.
However, the country, which continues to grapple with an unemployment rate exceeding 30 percent, has repeatedly witnessed outbreaks of xenophobic violence and anti-migrant protests over the years.
The latest unrest intensified after a viral video allegedly showing the assault of a Ghanaian man circulated widely on social media, sparking outrage and renewed concerns about the safety of foreign nationals in the country.
The tensions have also reignited debates across Africa surrounding migration, xenophobia, and the contrast between pan-African ideals and the realities faced by migrants on the continent.
