Ghana evacuates nationals from South Africa amid growing concerns over anti-foreigner violence

Ghanaian nationals who were evacuated from South Africa due to xenophobia attacks arrived at Accra International Airport on May 27, 2026, following the announcement by Ghana on May 26 to evacuate 300 citizens from the country.

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This evacuation comes after a surge in xenophobic incidents across South Africa in recent weeks, prompting Accra to organize repatriation flights for its citizens.

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The first flight of evacuated Ghanaian nationals landed in Accra on Wednesday, where they were greeted by Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and patriotic songs played over the airport speakers.

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A total of 800 Ghanaians are expected to leave South Africa, with the first group of roughly 300 returnees expressing gratitude to the Ghanaian government for their evacuation.

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Victor Atsu Togbe, one of the returnees, stated that the past few weeks in South Africa had been challenging, saying "We want to thank the Ghanaian government for taking us out of the lion’s den."

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South Africa, with an unemployment rate of over 30 percent, has experienced repeated xenophobic protests, including recent violence, despite being a destination for African workers.

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A viral video showing the alleged assault of a Ghanaian man triggered widespread outrage on social media, highlighting the tensions faced by foreigners in the country.

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Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa assured the returnees that the government would protect Ghanaians wherever they are, and also announced that 26 people who had been jailed over visa violations were on the flight.

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According to South Africa’s Border Management Authority, about 90 percent of the travelers were undocumented, with most having overstayed their visa by more than 30 days, and some by over a year.

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Ghana’s High Commissioner in South Africa criticized the backlogs in immigration processing for those seeking to renew their permits, while Ablakwa reiterated the government's promises of psycho-social support and financial reintegration packages for the returnees.

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Ablakwa warned that messing with Ghanaians anywhere in the world would be a mistake, saying "If you mess around with Ghanaians anywhere in the world, thinking that they are orphaned or nobody cares about them, you are mistaken."

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The latest tensions have revived debates about xenophobia, migration, and the gap between pan-African rhetoric and realities, with an ultimatum by a citizen-led group for illegal migrants to be expelled by June 30 raising fears of violence.

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Earlier this month, several hundred people from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Somalia sought protection in Durban, saying locals were going door-to-door to tell them to leave by the given date.

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The South African government has stated that it is stepping up enforcement against undocumented immigrants, while urging citizens not to take matters into their own hands, as there are over three million foreigners living in South Africa, making up 5.1 percent of the population.

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More than 63 percent of these foreigners come from countries in the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc, according to the statistics agency.