Full Breakdown
Ghana Repatriates Citizens from South Africa Amid Xenophobic Unrest
5/28/2026, 4:47:47 AM
First Flight Departs
On 27 May 2026 a chartered plane left O.R. Tambo International Airport with 297 Ghanaian nationals bound for Accra, beginning a voluntary repatriation after anti-immigration protests and attacks.
Background & Context
The “March and March” protests have demanded that undocumented migrants leave South Africa by 30 June, citing unemployment, crime and strained services. Recent xenophobic violence has left seven dead and hundreds injured.
Data & Statistics
The first flight carried 297 passengers; over 800 Ghanaians have registered for evacuation and about 1 000 have expressed interest. An estimated 25 000 Ghanaians live in South Africa.
Official Statements & Criticism
High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie said Ghana must protect its citizens abroad and announced a reintegration plan. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Ghana will help returnees resume businesses. South African officials condemned violence against foreigners but said illegal immigration must be addressed. Nigeria also voiced disapproval. HRLRC warned South Africa’s anti-xenophobia plan is poorly implemented.
On-the-Ground Reports
Salon owner Rudolph, a Ghanaian resident, told the BBC, “It’s not comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we have to go. I think we will find peace at home.” Some families were denied exit over missing documents, and a Congolese national warned, “We are being told repeatedly that on 30 June, we will be killed and that no foreigner will remain in South Africa.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources list the first-flight passenger count as 300, 297 or “nearly 300,” and while Ghana targets up to 800 evacuees, other reports cite roughly 1 000 interested individuals, leaving the final number unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I think in this case, it’s less about Ghana trying to protect its citizens per se, or these 300. This is a symbolic move to try to send a message to their sort of bigger counterpart, South Africa, that this is politically unacceptable,” — Loren Landau, Migration Expert, University of the Witwatersrand
- “It's not comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we have to go. I think we will find peace at home,” — Rudolph, Ghanaian salon owner in South Africa
- “The Ghanaian government listened to the plight of its citizens in South Africa, who felt that their lives were in danger, who felt like the economic activity that they were engaging in had come to a standstill, who felt unwelcome in this country,” — Benjamin Quashie, Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa
- “While policies such as the National Action Plan against racism and xenophobia exist on paper, implementation has been weak, inconsistent, and largely ineffective,” — Representative, Human Rights and Legal Research Center
What's Next
Further chartered flights will complete the evacuation of up to 800 Ghanaians, and the reintegration plan will help returnees resume livelihoods. Regional bodies warn that xenophobic unrest threatens the African Continental Free Trade Area’s free-movement goals, prompting calls for broader reforms.
