About 300 Ghanaian nationals, including women and children, were voluntarily repatriated from South Africa after a wave of anti-immigrant protests heightened fears for the safety of foreign nationals.
The group departed from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport as authorities from both countries coordinated evacuation efforts for citizens who no longer felt secure.
According to South African immigration officials, only a small number of those leaving were legally documented in the country, while many others were found to be in violation of immigration laws.
The protests, driven by complaints over unemployment and crime, have targeted undocumented migrants and were accompanied by reported attacks on foreigners from other African nations
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, said the repatriation was aimed at easing tensions while maintaining strong diplomatic relations between the two countries.
South African authorities also condemned xenophobic violence and pledged action against attacks on migrants, insisting such acts have no place in the country’s democracy.
