The Government of Ghana has postponed the planned evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa after more than 800 citizens registered for repatriation following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks in the country.
“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, the planned evacuation has been deferred by a few days to enable our High Commission meet these evacuation conditions.” the statement noted.
The update was announced today, Thursday, 21 May 2026, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release issued by the ministry of foreign affairs , explaining that the evacuation exercise had been deferred by a few days to allow authorities complete mandatory legal and logistical requirements.
The latest development follows escalating tensions and anti-immigrant protests in parts of South Africa in recent weeks, including demonstrations linked to immigration grievances and renewed fears among foreign nationals. Ghana had earlier announced plans to evacuate about 300 distressed Ghanaians after xenophobic incidents and anti-foreigner sentiments triggered security concerns within sections of the Ghanaian community in Pretoria and other areas.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the increase in the number of registered evacuees, together with South African legal requirements such as passenger screening, multi-institutional coordination and flight permit procedures, necessitated the temporary postponement of the exercise.
The Ministry noted that Ghanaian and South African authorities have since agreed on enhanced pre-evacuation arrangements aimed at speeding up the repatriation process and ensuring that all conditions are properly met before departures commence.
“Senior government officials on both sides remain actively engaged on this important exercise,” portions of the statement noted.
Government further assured Ghanaians in South Africa that efforts were ongoing to guarantee their safe return home while commending affected nationals for their patience and cooperation throughout the process.
“The Government of Ghana assures our nationals in South Africa that best efforts are being pursued to ensure their safe return home,” the statement added.
The Ministry also pledged to continue providing timely public updates on the situation in line with what it described as Ghana’s commitment to transparency and good governance.
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