Accra: The Ghanaian government has evacuated 300 citizens from South Africa amid concerns over xenophobic attacks.
The first batch, part of more than 800 citizens registered with the country’s mission seeking assistance to return home, arrived at Accra International Airport on Wednesday.
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who received them at the airport, said the group included 26 citizens who had been imprisoned in South Africa for visa-related offences, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ablakwa said professionals, including psychologists, medical doctors and nurses, would provide psychosocial support to the evacuees.
In addition, the government would provide transport allowances to help them return to their homes, along with a reintegration allowance to assist them in settling down in the country, the minister added.
Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency, expressed happiness over the arrival of the first batch and encouraged the returnees to move beyond their difficult experiences in South Africa and reintegrate into society.
Victor Atsu Togbe, one of the evacuees who had lived in South Africa for 16 years, told Xinhua that attacks on foreigners had made it difficult for them to sustain a meaningful livelihood.
“We are happy to be back home,” he said.
Earlier this month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged both citizens and foreign nationals to respect the rule of law as the government intensified efforts to address illegal migration.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa condemned recent violent protests and criminal acts targeting foreign nationals in parts of the country, saying such actions did not reflect the views of South Africans or government policy.
“These are the acts of opportunists who are exploiting the legitimate grievances, particularly those of the poor, under the false guise of ‘community activism’,” he said.
The development came after Ghana requested that the African Union debate what it described as “xenophobic attacks” against African nationals in South Africa during the upcoming African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit in June.
(IANS)
