Ghana disputes South African claims only 10 among hundreds of repatriated nationals held legal status

_{By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent}

A sharp diplomatic dispute has erupted between Accra and Pretoria over an ongoing humanitarian evacuation. Ghana is preparing to repatriate more than 400 additional citizens fleeing xenophobic tensions this weekend. Following the arrival of a first batch of 300 evacuees on Wednesday, a war of words has broken out over the legal status of the migrants. The panic has also spread to high-ranking corporate sectors, including senior Ghanaian mining professionals seeking emergency extraction.

Rising Panic and the Weekend Wave

Following Wednesday’s initial repatriation of 300 citizens, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, revealed that a second, larger group is prepared to depart immediately as threats of violence persist.

“The next batch will be of 410 evacuees who have given us their names that they want to go home voluntarily,” Quashie told local media on Thursday, May 28. “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.”

The scope of the panic is broad. High Commissioner Quashie disclosed that the number of citizens seeking an exit has surged rapidly. This surge highlights a massive backlog of frightened nationals awaiting state intervention.

“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.

Diplomatic Friction Over Migrant Legality

The worsening crisis has created a direct diplomatic rift regarding the official immigration status of those fleeing. South African authorities have cast the evacuees as predominantly undocumented individuals using the humanitarian corridor to escape legal scrutiny.

Stephen van Neel, the Head of Immigration and Law Enforcement at South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, alleged that his agency uncovered widespread irregularities among the initial group.

“Of the 300 individuals that were on that list, we only found 10 of them being legal in the country,” Van Neel stated. He added that the remaining individuals were either completely undocumented, non-compliant with local immigration regulations, or had overstayed their official permits.

The Ghanaian government immediately and firmly rejected this characterization. High Commissioner Quashie described the South African figures as inaccurate, misleading, and damaging to the reputation of his compatriots. He countered that the vast majority of the first 300 returnees were law-abiding residents.

“It is absolutely not true, out of the 300 people that came to Ghana, 80 per cent (were legal migrants),” Quashie insisted.

The ambassador stated that he has formally engaged South African authorities and demanded that the reported figures be retracted.

“I have told him (van Neel) that it is either he retracts the statement or I put out the fact,” Quashie noted, adding that another group of over 400 evacuees will arrive in Ghana over the weekend or in the coming week.

Corporate Vulnerability in the Mining Sector

The threat of violence has expanded beyond informal settlements and small businesses into corporate environments. Highly skilled, corporate foreign professionals are now seeking emergency extraction. Senior Ghanaian professionals occupying strategic roles in South Africa’s lucrative mining sector are formally requesting repatriation assistance through their leadership.

These individuals are long-term residents who have spent years contributing to South Africa’s primary industry. However, a specific timeline of threat has forced their hand. A major demonstration targeting foreign nationals is scheduled for June 30. Corporate employers have admitted they cannot protect their staff.

“A group of senior citizens and senior staffers of some of the mines in South Africa, who are Ghanaians working there, have just been told by their executives that they also want to leave and go back to Ghana,” Quashie disclosed. “So that they can go and help in the mining sector.”

The ambassador emphasised that these are highly skilled professionals who represent a significant loss of talent for South African industry.

“They are very senior citizens, they are holding very good positions here in most of the mines here and so they have also decided to go home and apply their trade in Ghana,” he added.

Many said they felt abandoned by their employers.

“They have indicated that they have given their all to these South African companies, but they feel that they have not been protective enough,” Quashie said. “Especially, their bosses have told them that they should not come to work on 30th June because they cannot guarantee their safety when they come to work.”

Allegations of Institutional Inaction

The official handling of the unrest has sparked fierce condemnation from political figures in Accra, raising domestic pressure on both governments. Titus Nii Kwartei Glover, Ghana’s former Deputy Minister for Transport and former Tema East MP, criticized South Africa’s law enforcement response during a live broadcast on JoyNews on Monday, May 25. Glover accused Pretoria of a profound lack of urgency and failing to deploy proactive security measures to shelter targeted foreign nationals.

“That is why I am blaming the South African government for not being proactive,” Glover stated. “President Cyril Ramaphosa has disappointed some of us. The South African government has not been up and doing.”

The former lawmaker went further, alleging that local security forces failed to step in during active confrontations. “You see Ghanaians being beaten, and they stand aloof and watch. They stand and watch and see how these foreigners are beaten,” he remarked.

Glover invoked the historical context of the anti-apartheid liberation struggle, expressing a sense of betrayal over current events. “Everybody in Africa contributed to making sure you are who you are today,” he noted. “They gave you money, scholarships, and passports to move around these African countries. Look at what they are doing, and the South African government is watching these things while our people are being beaten.”

Logistics Obstacles and Economic Backlash

Beyond policing failures, the evacuation process faces massive geographic and logistical bottlenecks. Many Ghanaian nationals reside far outside metropolitan hubs, complicating emergency consular outreach.

“The Foreign Minister should have taken his time a bit because, as we speak now, some of these Ghanaians are beyond Pretoria and Johannesburg,” Glover observed. “Even access to public transport to reach the embassy to register is a problem. So how do you reach these people?”

The crisis has threatened to disrupt long-standing corporate relationships between the two countries. Highlighting the potential for retaliatory commercial policies, Glover issued a public appeal to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to target South African commercial interests directly. He urged the presidency to halt corporate permits for South African mining firms operating within Ghana.

“I will appeal to President Mahama that next year the licences of those South African companies should never be renewed,” Glover said, warning that he would support and personally join public demonstrations if the security situation does not shift.

The Reintegration Challenge in Accra

As planes continue to touch down in Accra, the Ghanaian government faces the complex task of absorbing hundreds of displaced citizens back into the local economy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a public notice outlining an immediate relief framework to assist the influx of arrivals.

According to the Ministry, returnees will receive a “Welcome Home Financial Package” along with immediate transportation assistance to travel to their home destinations. To ensure long-term stability, the state has pledged a reintegration allowance and free psychosocial support services to address the emotional trauma of the attacks. Furthermore, the government will enter evacuees into a specialized database to match them with domestic job opportunities and startup support programs.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs framed the costly operation as a moral obligation, stating, “We value and cherish all our citizens.”

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, met the first wave of 300 returnees at the airport to offer political reassurance. He urged the evacuees to remain resilient as they rebuild their lives.

“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,” Ablakwa told the crowd.

Continental Capital and the African Brain Drain

The exodus of senior mining executives introduces a critical economic dimension to this migration crisis. Historically, anti-migrant sentiments primarily affected informal traders and low-income workers. This shift proves that highly skilled corporate labor is no longer insulated from systemic instability. As these professionals return to Accra, South Africa faces an immediate shortage of technical expertise in its primary economic sectors. Meanwhile, Ghana stands to benefit from an unexpected influx of corporate talent. This movement highlights a growing challenge for multinational firms operating across the continent who must now navigate serious safety concerns for their specialized foreign workforce.

Straining the Ideals of African Integration

This escalating dispute poses a fundamental challenge to the continent’s grand vision of economic unity. Continental bodies have long championed the free movement of goods, services, and human capital across borders. Recurrent bouts of localized hostility directly undermine these framework agreements. Global observers note that economic integration requires robust legal protections alongside political rhetoric. If highly visible diaspora communities feel chronically unsafe, the trust required for cross-border investments will continue to erode. This crisis forces African leaders to address the gap between continental cooperation ideals and harsh local realities.

Broader Regional Implications

The escalating situation highlights a recurring and deeply rooted challenge within southern Africa’s economic landscape. South African authorities are facing intense domestic pressure to address high unemployment rates and strain on public resources, factors that frequently ignite local anti-foreigner sentiments. Conversely, West African nations like Ghana are forced to balance critical diplomatic ties with the immediate duty of protecting their diaspora. This unfolding evacuation underscores how quickly labor migration issues can escalate into regional security and economic disruptions if systemic socio-economic pressures remain unaddressed by regional leaders.