Ghana orders new evacuation of 1,000 citizens as South Africa xenophobia crisis deepens

The Government of Ghana will resume evacuating Ghanaian nationals from South Africa this week, with the first flights carrying returnees due to land in Accra on Sunday and Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described this as the "next phase" of an ongoing evacuation programme, expected to bring home about 1,000 Ghanaians in stages, prioritising women, children, the elderly, people with medical conditions, and students. This exercise responds to renewed xenophobic violence against migrants in South Africa and will begin with Ghanaians already registered with the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria for government-assisted voluntary return.

Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, stated this week that nearly 926 Ghanaians had already been repatriated under earlier stages, with a further batch of roughly 900 registered nationals cleared for evacuation as of 25 July. Quashie characterised this as the "final phase" of the crisis response. The ministry singled out the Ghanaian leadership of the Church of Pentecost in Pretoria and Johannesburg, and Global Kingdom Investment Pty Ltd, for providing free shelter to displaced Ghanaians "for many weeks" while awaiting processing.