Twenty-six (26) Ghanaians who were detained in South Africa over alleged visa violations were part of the first batch of individuals who arrived in Ghana on Wednesday, May 27. This information was made public by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, while addressing the media on Wednesday, May 27.

According to him, prior to the development, the Ghanaian government had engaged with officials in South Africa to ensure that all Ghanaian nationals returned home, including those in prison detention.

“We negotiated with the South African government that since we are evacuating our nationals, we don’t want to leave anybody behind in prison. “So now, there is no Ghanaian in any South African prison for visa violations. We have brought all of them back home,” Mr. Ablakwa added.

Meanwhile, Immigration officials at OR Tambo International Airport have revealed that about 290 who were flown to Ghana violated visa laws. Speaking to the media, Home Affairs Immigration and Law Enforcement head Stephen van Neel indicated that authorities will soon take action against the affected individuals who have violated the laws.

“Of the 300 individuals that were on that list, we only found 10 of them to be legal in the country…We obviously have to make sure that certain sanctions are enforced,” Home Affairs Immigration and Law Enforcement head.

The first batch of 300 Ghanaians in South Africa amid heightened tensions of xenophobic attacks on foreigners including Ghanaians arrived in Ghana on Wednesday, May 27. 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.”

Weeks ago, the 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.

In addition, the government indicated that the evacuees would be enrolled in a special database for job and startup opportunities as part of efforts to support their reintegration.

The Ministry described the intervention as part of the government's commitment to protecting the welfare of Ghanaian citizens abroad and assisting them during times of crisis, stating that it valued and cherished all Ghanaian citizens.

The support package was announced ahead of the planned evacuation of the first batch of 300 Ghanaians from South Africa on a special chartered flight.

The evacuation had been approved by President John Dramani Mahama after Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Anani Quashie, reported growing fears among Ghanaians living in the country amid renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.

Is this the first time xenophobic attacks have happened in SA?The recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners by South African nations aren't 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 period of 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.