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 plus 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.

Govt pledges support package for SA repatriates

Before the planned evacuation, the government announced a support package for Ghanaians being evacuated from South Africa.

In a statement shared on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MoFA) official X (formerly Twitter) account on May 20, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that returnees would receive a welcome-home financial package, transportation assistance to their destinations across Ghana, and a reintegration allowance.

The package also included free psychosocial support for those who may have experienced trauma or violence, as well as counselling and medical assistance to aid their recovery.