The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has assured evacuated Ghanaians from South Africa that the government remains fully committed to ensuring their safe return and successful reintegration into Ghana following rising xenophobic tensions in the Southern African country.
Speaking ahead of the evacuation exercise on Wednesday, May 27, the Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that the government considers the welfare of Ghanaian citizens abroad a top national priority and has therefore put in place measures to support the returnees upon arrival.
According to him, the evacuees will not be treated as abandoned citizens but rather welcomed home with dignity and honour for enduring difficult circumstances abroad.
“You are not going to arrive in Ghana as if you are orphans. You will arrive to a hero’s welcome. The Chief of Staff himself has called me that he would love to join me to receive you. And he will be there leading a high-powered government delegation to receive all of you.
“You have seen the arrangements that the President has made. We have met and discussed a five-item package that everybody will be entitled to.”
Ablakwa further rejected any suggestion that the evacuees should feel ashamed or abandoned for returning home under difficult circumstances, insisting that Ghana remains capable of supporting its citizens.
“We want to show the world that we cherish our nationals. Our citizens matter to us. You are not refugees. You are not destitute. Ghana is not some war zone where we cannot take care of our own. Ghana is a place to be and that is why many foreigners are coming to Ghana on a daily basis.”
The evacuation exercise, which had initially been scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 21, was temporarily delayed after authorities recorded a significantly higher number of Ghanaians seeking repatriation than expected.
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