Ghana shelters nearly 900 citizens as South Africa braces for anti-foreigner unrest

With xenophobic hostilities escalating in South Africa and a wave of anti-immigration demonstrations looming on the calendar, Ghana’s diplomatic presence on the continent has moved swiftly to provide temporary shelter and coordinate the homebound transit of nearly 900 nationals seeking to escape the gathering storm.

Ambassador Benjamin Quashie spoke to Citi News on Sunday, June 28, providing an update on what amounts to an emergency humanitarian operation unfolding in real time.

The High Commission, working in tandem with Ghana’s Foreign Affairs apparatus and the presidential office, has constructed a logistical pipeline designed to usher evacuees back across borders in a fashion that is both orderly and secure.

The operation follows hot on the heels of a previous successful extraction that brought 938 Ghanaians home from South Africa. Now, as fresh threats loom ahead of demonstrations scheduled for June 30, another cohort numbering nearly 900 has registered its desire to depart, prompting a fresh mobilisation of resources.

“We’re looking at very close to 900 people who have written their names and want to return. We’ve already repatriated 938 people, and adding another 900 will bring the exercise to finality for those who have voluntarily requested to return home,” Quashie explained.

The High Commission has arranged temporary housing for portions of this latest group while bureaucratic machinery grinds forward to consummate the repatriation arrangements.

Diplomatic officials have also briefed South African law enforcement regarding the locations where evacuees are sheltering, explicitly requesting that police provide protective oversight of these safe houses despite the volatile atmosphere pervading the nation.

“We’ve housed some of them and officially informed the police of their whereabouts, requesting protection for those locations despite the heightened tensions in the country,” the Ambassador noted.

The coordinated effort reflects the gravity with which Ghana’s government views the deteriorating security environment facing its nationals abroad — a situation that has driven hundreds to conclude that departure represents their only viable path toward safety.

Yaw Opoku Amoako

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