Xenophobia: Over 1,500 Ghanaians registered to be evacuated from South Africa — High Commission

More than 1,500 Ghanaians in South Africa have registered for voluntary evacuation amid rising xenophobic tensions in the country, sags the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria.

The development comes as African migrants continue to face attacks linked to protests over illegal immigration, with foreign-owned businesses reportedly targeted in several affected communities.

Ghana has already evacuated about 300 citizens, with the first group arriving in Accra on May 27.

In a statement issued on Monday, June 1, the High Commission confirmed the scale of registrations and the steps being taken to process applications.

“To date, over 1,500 Ghanaians have registered, and the verification and processing of these applications is currently underway,” the statement read in part.

The Commission also announced a temporary suspension of new registrations to allow proper screening and coordination of the large number of applicants.

“The High Commission of the Republic of Ghana to South Africa wishes to inform all Ghanaians residing in South Africa that registration for the ongoing voluntary repatriation exercise will be temporarily suspended with effect from 2nd June, 2026,” it stated.

It explained that the pause is necessary to enable the High Commission and South African officials to verify and process existing applications before reopening the exercise.

The Commission assured affected citizens that the repatriation process has not ended and further arrangements will be communicated in due course.