Ghana has received the first batch of its nationals successfully evacuated from South Africa amid rising xenophobic tensions.
The evacuees, numbering 300, touched down on Wednesday, May 27, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
They were welcomed at the Accra International Airport (AIA) by senior government officials led by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The evacuation exercise was successfully coordinated through Ghana’s diplomatic mission in South Africa in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The move marks the commencement of a government-led repatriation exercise aimed at ensuring the safety of Ghanaians caught in the crossfire of renewed hostility against foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
As part of arrangements to ensure each returnee reunites with their families, a relief package comprising food and non-food items has been provided to offer immediate support while the government finalises a more comprehensive reintegration programme.
The broader package is expected to include financial assistance, business startup registration support, and other resettlement interventions designed to help the evacuees rebuild their lives.
Meanwhile, the government has noted that additional flights are being arranged to bring home more Ghanaians who have registered for evacuation assistance.
