Effective Thursday, May 21, the government will begin evacuating the first batch of 300 Ghanaians from South Africa in response to xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals.

Addressing the media, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, noted that, as part of a broader response to safeguard Ghanaian nationals in South Africa, the evacuation exercise will be fully funded by the state. Ghanaians and other foreign nationals, have repeatedly come under attack in sporadic outbreaks of violence in South Africa.

Speaking on PM Express on Monday, May 11, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Anani Quashie revealed that his outfit had already received requests from more than 200 Ghanaians seeking voluntary repatriation.

“We have already received requests from more than 200 Ghanaians who want to voluntarily return home. Many of them have lost their businesses and livelihoods, and the fear of renewed xenophobic attacks is pushing them to seek repatriation,” Mr Quashie noted.

Earlier this month, a Ghanaian national, Emmanuel Asamoah, who was captured in a viral video being harassed by a group of individuals in a xenophobic attack in South Africa, was been flown home by the government.

The viral video showed several other foreign nationals being intimidated by some South African citizens for allegedly taking jobs meant for locals.

Addressing the media, the Coordinating Director in charge of Political and Economic Affairs at the ministry, Harold Agyeman, disclosed that Emmanuel Asamoah has successfully made it to Ghana following the government’s intervention.

“Government is very much conscious and strongly committed to protecting our nationals abroad. And so, under the instructions of the minister, Emmanuel Asamoah has been relocated to Ghana to ensure that he is in a safe space, he added”According to him, “We continue to rely on the assurances that the South African government has given that they would stop this activity by their nationals, which can be threatening to the relations with other African countries.”

Meanwhile, Ghana, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on the African Union (AU) to intervene in the ongoing xenophobic attacks carried out by South African citizens against foreign nationals.

The petition comes ahead of the upcoming Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the continental Body slated for 27 June 2026 in El Alamein, Egypt.

In a letter dated May 6, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister pleaded with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa to treat the request with urgency to avoid further escalation of tensions and ensure the safety of foreign nationals living in South Africa.

The attacks, as per the letter, violate the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and run contrary to the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA promotes free movement, reduces barriers, and fosters a common African market.

In addition, the letter further urged the AU to conduct a thorough probe into the xenophobic violence in South Africa, while recommending appropriate permanent solutions.

Parts of the letter read, "It is particularly troubling that manifestations of xenophobia, including violent attacks against fellow Africans, have persisted in recent years”.

Is this the first time xenophobic attacks are happening in SA?

The recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners by South African nationals is not the first. SA has a history of violent xenophobic attacks dating as far back as 1998.

In 1998, three foreign nationals were killed in Johannesburg. Two years later, seven more were killed in Cape Town.

After a long quiet in the attacks, the worst in SA's history happened in 2008 when sixty‑two (62) people lost their lives, 1,700 were injured, and about 100,000 were displaced nationwide cementing xenophobia as a recurring national crisis.

In 2015, violence flared again after inflammatory remarks by the Zulu King. The unrest spread across the country, forcing the government to deploy the military to restore order.

By 2019, riots erupted in Durban and Johannesburg, with Nigerian‑owned businesses being specifically targeted.

More recently, between 2022 and 2025, smaller but persistent flare‑ups were linked to vigilante movements such as Operation Dudula. These included blocking foreigners from accessing health facilities in Gauteng and KwaZulu‑Natal, reflecting how xenophobia had become embedded in everyday life.