Ghana Spends $4.36million To Evacuate 1964 Citizens From South Africa Amid X£nophobic Att∆cks

 

Ghana Spends $4.36million To Evacuate 1964 Citizens From South Africa Amid Xenophobic Attacks

The disclosure was made by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who provided a breakdown of the expenditure incurred during the evacuation exercise.

Ghana has spent approximately $4.36 million to evacuate 1964 of its citizens from South Africa following a wave of xenophobic attacks and anti-migrant tensions in the country.

The disclosure was made by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who provided a breakdown of the expenditure incurred during the evacuation exercise.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total expenditure amounted to GH¢49.72 million, equivalent to about US$4.36 million based on the Bank of Ghana’s September 7, 2026 mid-market exchange rate of GH¢11.395 to US$1.

The minister said GH¢38.84 million, approximately $3.41 million, was spent on the core evacuation operation.

The expenditure covered chartered flights, commercial air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation and medical care for the affected citizens.

Another GH¢10.80 million, about $947,800, was spent on reintegration and transportation allowances for the returnees.

Each of the 1,964 evacuees received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration grant and GH¢500 as transportation support, bringing the total assistance per person to GH¢5,500.

The government also spent GH¢84,274, approximately $7,400, on the repatriation of the remains of two Ghanaians who died during the crisis.

The evacuation exercise began on May 27 and was completed on September 4, 2026, with the arrival of the final batch of 41 Ghanaians in Accra.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the exercise involved nearly 1,900 voluntary returnees, while the remains of two Ghanaians who were attacked and killed were also repatriated. The ministry also disclosed that one returnee died upon arrival in Accra.

The minister said the Ghanaian government spent GH¢33.72 million, while Engineers and Planners, a company owned by Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama, donated GH¢16 million towards the evacuation.

He added that the entire evacuation cost had been settled, with no outstanding liabilities.

The evacuation followed growing anti-immigrant sentiment and attacks targeting African migrants in parts of South Africa.

In May, Ghana began evacuating its citizens after reports of xenophobic attacks and intimidation against foreign nationals. The first batch of 300 Ghanaians arrived in Accra on May 27. Among them were 26 Ghanaians who had been detained in South Africa over alleged visa violations and were released following interventions by the Ghanaian government.

The government subsequently expanded the operation as more Ghanaians registered to return home. By September 4, the final batch of 41 evacuees had arrived, bringing the evacuation operation to an end.

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The Ghanaian government also provided returnees with reintegration support, transportation allowances, medical care, psychosocial support and free registration under the National Health Insurance Scheme. Officials also said employment opportunities were being facilitated for some returnees.

Beyond the South Africa crisis, Ablakwa disclosed that Ghana has repatriated thousands of citizens from other countries since 2025 after they became stranded or faced distress situations abroad.

“At my media briefing yesterday, I also disclosed that working with our partners since 2025 to date, we have repatriated 4,972 Ghanaians in distress from multiple countries including Libya, Cambodia and Kuwait,” Ablakwa said.

“If you add the recent evacuations from South Africa of 1,964 Ghanaians, we have cumulatively brought back home 6,936 of our compatriots.”

According to figures disclosed by the minister, the 4,972 Ghanaians were repatriated from 10 countries. They included 3,807 from Libya, 440 from Côte d’Ivoire, 246 from Nigeria, 244 from Cambodia, 201 from Algeria, 18 from Kuwait, eight from Sierra Leone, five from Mauritius, two from Morocco and one from Iraq.

Ablakwa said the repeated repatriation operations had placed significant financial and logistical pressure on the government, prompting plans for a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund.

The proposed fund is intended to provide dedicated emergency financing for evacuations, repatriations and other consular interventions involving Ghanaians in distress abroad.

The minister also warned Ghanaians, particularly young people, against illegal recruitment agencies and human trafficking networks that lure citizens abroad with promises of lucrative employment.

He said such schemes had contributed to some Ghanaians ending up in dangerous situations, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Ablakwa disclosed that 62 Ghanaians had lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while another 15 remained missing. Two other Ghanaians, he said, were being held by Ukrainian authorities as prisoners of war, with negotiations for their release ongoing.

The minister ended his message with a pledge to continue protecting Ghanaian citizens abroad.

“We shall always rise to the challenge and protect the dignity and welfare of Ghanaians everywhere in the world. A Ghanaian under threat amounts to all of us under threat.”