The first group of 300 Ghanaians departed South Africa on Wednesday on a special repatriation flight to Accra, according to Ghana’s Foreign Ministry.
The Ghanaian departed from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
A South African immigration official told local station eNCA that only 10 Ghanaians on the flight were in South Africa legally, “so a considerable number of them are not complying with our immigration act.”
According to Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, the next repatriation flight will take place on Sunday.
In total about 800 Ghanaians are expected to leave as part of the repatriation programme. Ghana has promised to provide financial, psychological and social support to its returned citizens.
The evacuation flight on Wednesday comes as anti-immigration protests and violence targeting foreigners have become more widespread in South Africa. Protests have taken place in cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
What is causing anti-immigrant sentiment to rise in South Africa?
South Africa is the largest economy on the African continent and therefore attracts both legal and undocumented immigrants. The current demonstrations are motivated by South Africa’s economic problems, where unemployment exceeds 30%.
A video of the attack on Ghanaian Emmanuel Asamoah in South Africa went viral last month and sparked fear in the wider Ghanaian community. In April, Ghana summoned South Africa’s top envoy over “persistent xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians and other Africans living in South Africa”.
Political rhetoric against migrants has also intensified ahead of the municipal elections in November.
Earlier this month, Nigeria’s foreign minister said at least 130 Nigerian citizens in South Africa had been asked to repatriate amid anti-migrant sentiment.
In May, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that “There is no room in South Africa for xenophobia, ethnic mobilization, intolerance for violence.”
Edited by: Darko Janjevic