The Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, has called out the South African Department of Home Affairs over delays in the renewal of residence and work permits, a situation he says has left some Ghanaians classified as undocumented.
He expressed concern that persistent delays in permit renewals have affected the legal status of some migrants, exposing them to marginalisation and, in some cases, vulnerability to xenophobic attacks by anti-immigration vigilante groups.
According to him, many of those classified as undocumented are individuals who initially held valid permits but have been left in administrative limbo after submitting renewal applications that remain unresolved for years.
“I have asked that we have a discourse and understand what we call an undocumented immigrant. We have people in this country who came in, had work permits, worked for four years. After that, their permits expire. They go to the Department of Home Affairs to request renewal, and four, five, even six years down the line, these applications have neither been approved nor rejected. At that point, who do you blame?” he said.
He argued that individuals undergoing pending renewal processes should not automatically be categorised as undocumented migrants, urging the Department of Home Affairs to improve efficiency in processing applications and issuing clear determinations on immigration status.
“It is a canker when it comes to illegal migration, but let’s define it properly. Let’s be honest with each other. Let’s not resort to theatrics. Let’s make sure we are saying the right things and doing the right things,” he added.
The High Commissioner also announced that the first batch of 300 Ghanaians is expected to be evacuated from South Africa to Accra at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow, pending the approval of an aircraft landing permit. He clarified that all evacuees have been screened and cleared for travel as documented migrants.
Earlier evacuation arrangements scheduled for May 21 were delayed due to travel bureaucracies and a growing number of registrations, which led to the rescheduling of the exercise.
According to him, the individuals being repatriated hold valid documentation but have expressed concerns about feeling unsafe or unwelcome in South Africa, prompting the voluntary evacuation arrangement.
He further stated that South African immigration authorities have completed screening processes for the evacuees, while final clearance is expected from the Department of Transport and International Relations to facilitate the aircraft landing permit.
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