Ghana to evacuate 300 citizens from South Africa after surge in anti-migrant incidents

Ghana moves to repatriate 300 citizens amid recent anti-immigrant incidents in South Africa

Ghana has announced it will evacuate 300 citizens from South Africa following a recent rise in anti-immigrant protests and reports of assaults and intimidation against African nationals.

Who authorised the operation

In a message posted on X, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said President John Dramani Mahama had approved the evacuation. He added that the affected people had registered with Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria after following a Foreign Ministry advisory to seek rescue.

“These distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks,” the minister wrote.

The Ghanaian government said it would continue to safeguard the welfare of all Ghanaians home and abroad.

Official responses and regional context

The decision follows a series of anti-immigrant protests in South Africa and claims of assaults and intimidation against other African nationals. Nigeria and Ghana have both voiced concern about the situation.

The South African government has rejected claims of xenophobia. Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told reporters:

“South Africans are not xenophobic. What you have is pockets of protest, which is permissible within our constitutional framework.”

Magwenya also said Africa needs to address conflict, instability and cases of “misgovernment” that he said were behind waves of migration across the continent.

Diplomatic and social background

At the end of last month, the government in Accra summoned South Africa’s high commissioner in protest at several xenophobic incidents targeting Ghanaians.

The article notes that South Africa is home to more than 3 million foreigners, just over 5% of the population, and that unemployment is running at 30%, which the report says has fuelled tensions with migrant workers.

Historical context

The report recalls that in the deadliest violence against immigrants in the last two decades, 62 people were killed in 2008. Violent clashes also erupted in 2015, 2016 and 2019.

Source: AFP, as reported by IOL.