By Seli Baisie
A plane carrying the first batch of 300 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa amid xenophobic attacks landed at Accra International Airport at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
The evacuees arrived in Accra after the Government of Ghana initiated an emergency evacuation exercise following weeks of growing tension and attacks targeting foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
The evacuation process began after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an advisory urging distressed Ghanaians in South Africa to register with Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria for assistance and possible evacuation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced earlier this month that President John Dramani Mahama had granted approval for the immediate evacuation of 300 Ghanaians affected by the attacks.
In a social media post on Wednesday morning, Mr Ablakwa confirmed that the first batch of evacuees had departed Johannesburg for Accra, assuring Ghanaians that the government remained committed to protecting citizens abroad.
He had earlier stated in a Facebook post that: “These distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks.”
The latest tensions in South Africa were triggered by renewed anti-immigration protests and growing frustration over unemployment, crime and access to public services, with foreign nationals becoming targets in several communities.
Concerns escalated in April after videos circulated on social media showing some foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, being harassed and asked to produce immigration documents by groups of South Africans.
The situation drew condemnation from the Government of Ghana, which summoned South Africa’s ambassador over the attacks and called for urgent intervention to protect Ghanaian citizens living in the country.
More than 800 Ghanaians are reported to have registered with Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria for evacuation assistance, with authorities indicating that additional flights may follow in the coming days.
