Ghanaian nationals began departing from Johannesburg early on Wednesday on one of the first flights home amidst escalating safety concerns following a surge in anti-immigrant protests across South Africa.
The group of 300 individuals, including women and children, are part of what authorities describe as a voluntary repatriation process for Ghanaian citizens who no longer feel secure in the country. South African and Ghanaian officials are collaborating on a list of approximately 800 people who have expressed a desire to leave.
An unnamed South African immigration official, speaking to local television station eNCA, revealed a significant number of those departing were not legally resident. “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 stated.
This repatriation follows weeks of anti-immigration demonstrations, where campaigners have called for stricter controls on undocumented migrants, accusing foreign nationals of contributing to crime and high unemployment.
The protests have been accompanied by instances of violence targeting migrants from other sub-Saharan African countries.
One Ghanaian man, preparing for his departure, cited persistent harassment as the reason for his decision. “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, choosing to remain anonymous.
Migrant rights groups contend that foreign nationals are being scapegoated by South Africans for the nation’s economic woes, particularly an unemployment rate exceeding 30 per cent, which disproportionately affects the Black population.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, indicated that the departures aim to de-escalate tensions while preserving robust diplomatic ties.
“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,” Mr Quashie remarked, dismissing suggestions of a diplomatic rift.
South African authorities have condemned the violence against foreign nationals and pledged to tackle xenophobic attacks, asserting that such acts have no place within the country’s constitutional democracy.
