Following the successful repatriation of the first 301 Ghanaians from South Africa, an additional 600 more have registered at Ghana’s High Commission in the host country to be brought back home, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, May 31, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said that “600 more Ghanaians have registered at our High Commission to be evacuated from South Africa.”

Consequently, the government will not hesitate to respond to the desires of the distressed Ghanaians in South Africa amid the heightened xenophobic violent attacks on foreigners, including those from Ghana.

“When the safety and dignity of Ghanaians are at stake, the Government of Ghana does not compromise or dither”, he said.

Mr Ablakwa also expressed admiration for the resilience of affected Ghanaians, commending their calmness and determination in the face of the situation.

“I am immensely proud of the resilient spirit of Ghanaians,” he added.

He noted that efforts are ongoing to coordinate the evacuation process and ensure the safe return of all registered citizens.

The second batch of evacuees from South Africa is set to touch down this weekend. Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, has revealed that 410 Ghanaians fleeing xenophobic attacks in South Africa will be evacuated over the weekend.

The weekend group will be the second batch to be repatriated, while the date for the rest is yet to be communicated after the arrival of the first 300 evacuees on Wednesday, May 27.

Speaking during JoyFM's Super Morning Show on Thursday, May 28, the High Commissioner indicated that, "The next batch will be of 410 evacuees who have given us their names that they want to go home voluntarily. It is going to be the coming Sunday or Tuesday; we have not fixed the exact date yet, but it should be between these three days."

He disclosed that about 1,000 Ghanaians living in South Africa have registered to return home over fears of the attacks.

"As of this morning (Thursday, May 28), I have been briefed that we have almost a thousand who have fully registered and have indicated that they want to leave South Africa and go back home," he noted.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has urged the evacuees not to lose hope, assuring them that the government has plans in place to support their reintegration into society.

Addressing the returnees at the Accra International Airport on Wednesday, May 27, Mr Ablakwa encouraged them to remain optimistic despite their experiences abroad.

“We don't want any of you to feel brokenhearted, don't be downhearted, don't be depressed, have confidence that the almighty has better plans for you,” he told the evacuees upon their arrival.

Earlier, the Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that over eight hundred (800) Ghanaians have registered at their Commission in Pretoria, for voluntary evacuation due to the worsening xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Consequently, “the planned evacuation has been deferred by a few days to enable our High Commission to meet these evacuation conditions”.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to provide an update on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, which was scheduled to commence today, 21 May, 2026. The Government of Ghana notes that more than 800 Ghanaians have registered with our High Commission in Pretoria seeking to be evacuated due to the latest wave of xenophobic attacks.

Considering the numbers involved and the South African legal conditions that have to be met, including mandatory passenger screening, multi-institutional coordination and flight permits, parts of the statement read.

To ensure that all the necessary regulatory requirements are met, an additional day of preparation to ensure a safe and orderly evacuation process.

“Ghanaian and South African authorities have agreed to enhanced and more efficient pre-evacuation modalities to expedite the process”, the Ministry added.