Ghana Repatriates 300 Citizens From South Africa as Anti-Immigrant Violence Spreads
Ghana flew an initial group of 300 nationals home from Johannesburg on Wednesday, May 27, in the first departure of a state-organised repatriation operation triggered by weeks of escalating anti-immigrant protests and violence across South Africa. The group boarded flights at OR Tambo International Airport after registering with the Ghanaian High Commission in Pretoria, with both governments describing the process as voluntary.
Ghanaian nationals queued at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport early on Wednesday, and the group of 300 included women and children. South African authorities have been working with Ghanaian authorities on a list of about 800 people who indicated they wanted to leave. The remaining registered citizens were still being screened and would depart at a later date, according to Ghanaian authorities. CNBC AfricaTimesLIVE
The BBC saw dozens of buses chartered by the Ghanaian embassy dropping off passengers at the airport around 03:00 local time. A smaller group also arrived in a police van and were kept apart from the majority of passengers, watched over by police. CapitalFM
The departures lay bare a diplomatic and humanitarian pressure point that has been building since April. The repatriation followed a wave of anti-immigration protests in recent weeks, with campaigners demanding tighter controls on undocumented migrants and accusing foreigners of contributing to crime and unemployment. The protests have been accompanied by instances of violence against migrants from other sub-Saharan African countries. CNBC Africa
The legal status of those departing added a pointed dimension to the situation. A South African immigration official told local television station eNCA: “What we found is that of the 300, only 10 of them are legal in the country, so quite a number of them are in noncompliance with our immigration act.” TimesLIVE
Ghana’s Response
President John Dramani Mahama authorised the operation after a formal registration process was launched for Ghanaian nationals seeking state protection. Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on social media that “these distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued, following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks.” GBC Ghana
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, said the departures were part of efforts to ease tensions while preserving strong diplomatic ties between the two countries. “The demonstrators have said they want us to work together. We must ensure that those who are undocumented are returned home and that institutions are allowed to function,” Quashie said, dismissing speculation of a diplomatic rift with South Africa. TimesLIVE
Quashie had told the BBC separately that the overriding concern was the safety of Ghanaian nationals. “The Ghanaian government listened to the plight of its citizens in South Africa,” he said. Any Ghanaian with a valid passport who no longer feels safe in South Africa can apply for the programme, Quashie confirmed, and participation remains voluntary. allAfrica.comThe Bulrushes
One Ghanaian preparing to board expressed relief mixed with resignation. “I’m happy that I’m going to my country … it’s not easy to be in someone else’s country and be disturbed all the time,” he said, declining to give his name. CNBC Africa
The repatriation process was not without complications. Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the original evacuation flight had been deferred by a few days, blaming screening procedures, coordination between multiple institutions, and outstanding flight permits. “Considering the numbers involved and the South African legal conditions that have to be met, the planned evacuation has been deferred by a few days,” the ministry said in a statement. The Bulrushes
The Protests and Who Is Behind Them
The demonstrations have been organised primarily by a group called March and March, founded in 2025 by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, a former radio presenter. A second organisation, Operation Dudula, has also been active. The two groups are united in their belief that undocumented immigration is driving unemployment and insecurity in South Africa, and ahead of the 2026 local elections, they have garnered the support of a number of conservative political parties. France 24
March and March, which describes itself as a citizen-led movement for immigration reform, has set a June 30 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country. Rights groups warn the deadline could produce a new wave of violence. CapitalFM
Human Rights Watch reported that in April and May 2026, March and March organised demonstrations against undocumented migrants in major cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban, with violent and sometimes fatal results. At least seven people have reportedly been killed as a result of the attacks since March 2026. Human Rights WatchPeoples Dispatch
Mike Ndlovu, media coordinator for Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia, told Al Jazeera: “We continue to receive reports through our community networks of intimidation, threats, harassment, unlawful evictions, workplace discrimination, police extortion, and denial of access to healthcare and other basic services affecting migrants and refugees.” Al Jazeera
Regional Impact
The anti-immigrant unrest has drawn criticism from several African nations, and the repatriation of Ghanaian nationals is the most visible diplomatic response to date. There are an estimated 25,000 Ghanaians living in South Africa. Ghana’s decision to organise a state-funded evacuation signals the depth of concern in Accra about the safety of its diaspora. eNCACapitalFM
South Africa’s minister for International Relations publicly acknowledged the violent protests and condemned them: “We must not lose our sense of humanity when we confront the problems we have as a nation. There is no justification for taking the law into your own hands.” South African authorities have also pledged to crack down on xenophobic attacks, saying such acts have no place in the country’s constitutional democracy. Peoples DispatchTimesLIVE
Background
Since 2008 — when 62 people were killed, including South Africans, Mozambicans, Zimbabweans, and Somalis — South Africa has been grappling with intermittent but widespread xenophobic harassment and violence against African and Asian foreign nationals, whether refugees, asylum seekers, or both documented and undocumented migrants. Sporadic waves of violence erupted in 2015, 2019, and 2021–2022. The country’s unemployment rate has hovered near one-third of the working population for several years, providing fertile ground for anti-migrant grievance politics. Ahead of the 2026 local elections, conservative political parties have aligned with the protest movements, intensifying the political charge around immigration. Activists at Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia note that “the tensions we are seeing now have been growing for years, but become more visible and intense at certain moments, like ahead of the elections when anti-migrant rhetoric tends to intensify.” Human Rights Watch + 2
What Happens Next
South African authorities have been working with Ghanaian counterparts on a list of approximately 800 people who have indicated they want to leave, with the remaining registered citizens still undergoing screening before a subsequent departure. March and March has set a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, a timeline that rights groups and observers warn could trigger further violence if not met or addressed by authorities. The South African government said it is hiring 10,000 additional permanent labour inspectors to strengthen immigration enforcement, expanding on the existing 2,300 inspectors. Whether Ghana’s repatriation model prompts other African governments with large diaspora communities in South Africa — including Nigeria and Zimbabwe — to launch similar operations remains to be seen, though no formal announcements had been made by Wednesday. TimesLIVE + 2
