The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured Ghanaians that the country will not be required to reimburse South Africa for the repatriation of Ghanaian nationals evacuated from the country following recent xenophobic attacks.
The Ministry said Ghana is not among the countries expected to repay costs incurred by the South African Government in facilitating the return of foreign nationals. This follows the South African government’s request to some African countries to compensate it for the funds used in the evacuation of their citizens.
In a statement issued on Thursday, 13 August 2026, the Ministry said the Government of Ghana had fully funded the evacuation of its nationals, with financial support from Ghanaian partners.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Ghana did not seek any financial or material support from the South African Government to bring our fellow nationals back home,” the statement said.
The clarification follows reports that South Africa is seeking about $18 million in reimbursement from several African countries for expenses associated with housing, transporting and facilitating the return of foreign nationals.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry stressed that Ghana’s evacuation exercise had been financed entirely by the Ghanaian government and its partners.
It said the latest round of evacuations had also followed the same arrangement, with Ghana bearing the full cost of bringing its nationals home.
Since May 2026, more than 1,600 Ghanaians have been evacuated from South Africa, according to the Ministry, with the exercise still ongoing.
The government has also provided additional support to the returnees after their arrival in Ghana, including reintegration funds, transport fares and other relief items.
The Ministry said the support formed part of the government’s commitment to ensuring the smooth reintegration of Ghanaians who had been evacuated.
“Ghanaians can therefore be assured that under no circumstances will Ghana be listed among the countries being requested by the Government of South Africa to reimburse the cost incurred in repatriating foreign nationals,” it stated.
The Ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Ghanaian citizens abroad and said it would continue to take timely and decisive action whenever their safety and security were at risk.
It also expressed gratitude to President John Mahama and Ghanaian partners for ensuring that the evacuation of affected Ghanaians was fully funded by Ghana.
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