Nearly 300 Ghanaian citizens returned to Accra on Wednesday following weeks of intense anti-immigrant protests and rising violence in South Africa.
The voluntary repatriation flight from Johannesburg delivered the group, which included several children, safely back to their home country’s soil.
South African immigration officials reported that a vast majority of the returning individuals were currently in non-compliance with immigration laws.
To facilitate the departures, the Ghanaian Embassy issued emergency travel certificates for citizens who had overstayed their official visas.
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa greeted the arriving citizens at the airport, promising immediate allowances and psychological support.
Ablakwa confirmed that diplomatic negotiations successfully secured the release of 26 Ghanaians previously detained for various visa violations.
The repatriation follows a wave of targeted demonstrations where South African campaigners blamed foreign nationals for high domestic unemployment.
Migrant-rights groups argue that undocumented workers are being scapegoated for broader economic issues, including a 30 percent unemployment rate.
One anonymous returnee expressed deep relief to leave after enduring persistent harassment and safety concerns in his daily life.
Ghana’s High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie emphasized that cooperating on undocumented deportations helps maintain strong diplomatic ties with Pretoria.
South African authorities have publicly condemned the xenophobic violence, pledging stricter law enforcement to protect vulnerable foreign nationals.