On May 27, hundreds of Ghanaian nationals gathered at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport to board flights back to Accra. Their departure reflects the growing unease many foreign nationals feel in South Africa.
Three hundred men, women, and children chose to return home after weeks of anti-immigrant protests raised safety concerns and led to more people leaving.
This organised departure follows close coordination between South African and Ghanaian authorities, who have compiled a list of about 800 citizens seeking to leave.
Immigration officials said that out of the first group of 300 people, only ten had legal documents. This means that 97% were undocumented, showing that many have not followed residency laws.
The recent protests, led by campaigners calling for stricter rules on undocumented migrants, have increased tensions. These protests have sometimes turned violent against foreigners from other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Many migrants say they have endured repeated harassment, with one Ghanaian man admitting he was relieved to be heading home: “It’s not easy to be in someone else’s country and be disturbed all the time.”
Meanwhile, migrant rights groups argue thMigrant rights groups say that foreigners are being blamed for South Africa’s serious economic problems.
Unemployment rates are above 30 per cent and affect the Black population the most. High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, stressed that the repatriations were aimed at easing tensions while continuing strong diplomatic ties.
He rejected claims of a conflict and said both governments are working together to help undocumented migrants return home and to make sure institutions work as they should.
South African authorities have spoken out against xenophobic violence. They promise to stop these attacks and say such actions do not belong in the country’s constitutional democracy.
For many Ghanaians, leaving South Africa is a difficult choice. The hope for opportunity has been replaced by fear, hostility, and the need to find safety at home.
