Ghana has pledged to repatriate additional citizens from South Africa should hostility towards foreign nationals intensify and endanger the lives of its nationals residing there.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, speaking on TV3, indicated that authorities were closely observing the situation while evaluating the needs of Ghanaians who may require protection.
He assured the public that the government remained prepared to intervene if fresh outbreaks of violence occurred, stressing that assistance would not be suspended should conditions deteriorate.
The assurance follows the successful return of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa after renewed incidents of harassment, threats and attacks against immigrants.
The operation commenced on May 27, costing the state approximately GH¢49.72 million.
Mr Ablakwa further revealed that more than 6,300 Ghanaian nationals had been rescued from difficult circumstances abroad since last year.
Those assisted included individuals repatriated from Libya, Myanmar and Cambodia.
The announcement comes amid renewed unrest recorded in Soweto, Johannesburg, and Durban on October 8, when demonstrations against immigration policies degenerated into violence.
The demonstrations were linked to dissatisfaction with South Africa’s asylum procedures and a Constitutional Court decision preventing authorities from rejecting asylum applications solely on the grounds that applicants entered the country unlawfully.
Subsequently, reports emerged that South Africa’s Home Affairs Department had rescinded an instruction concerning the handling of asylum requests, pointing to implementation difficulties and security considerations.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian minister disclosed that the African Union had acknowledged Accra’s formal complaint regarding violence against foreign residents.
The organisation is expected to deliberate on the matter during its next summit in January 2027.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong