Gov’t plans to evacuate more citizens from South Africa if attacks worsen - Ablakwa

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said Ghana is ready to evacuate more citizens from South Africa if anti-immigrant violence worsens and threatens the safety of Ghanaians living in the country.

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Speaking on TV3, the said the government was monitoring developments and assessing the welfare of Ghanaians who might need assistance.

Ghana completed the evacuation of 1,964 citizens from South Africa following renewed attacks and intimidation targeting foreign nationals.

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The exercise began on May 27 with the government spending about GH¢49.72 million on the operation.

Ablakwa also disclosed that more than 6,300 Ghanaians had been evacuated from distress situations worldwide since last year, including citizens brought home from Libya, Myanmar and Cambodia.

The latest warning comes after anti-immigrant protests turned violent in Johannesburg’s Soweto township and Durban on October 8. 

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The unrest followed protests over South Africa’s asylum system and a Constitutional Court ruling that asylum seekers could not be denied access to the application process solely because they had entered the country illegally.

Reports indicate that the South Africa’s Home Affairs Department subsequently withdrew a directive related to the processing of asylum applications, citing operational challenges and public safety concerns.

Meanwhile, Ablakwa said the African Union had responded to Ghana’s petition over attacks against foreign nationals and indicated that the matter would be discussed at its next summit in January 2027.