Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that 26 Ghanaians who were imprisoned in South Africa over visa and stay permit violations were among the first batch of evacuees repatriated to Ghana on Wednesday, May 27, following recent xenophobic attacks in the country.
The returnees arrived at the Kotoka International Airport together with about 300 other Ghanaians evacuated under a government intervention programme aimed at protecting citizens affected by the growing tensions in South Africa.
Speaking after receiving the evacuees, Hon Ablakwa said the government engaged South African authorities to secure the release and return of the detained Ghanaians as part of the evacuation exercise.
“Let me welcome the 26 Ghanaians whom we negotiated for. They were in prison and had been detained for visa violations. We appealed to the South African government that since we were evacuating our nationals, we did not want anybody left behind in prison, and they agreed with us,” he said.
The Minister expressed gratitude to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s Foreign Minister for cooperating with Ghana’s request.
“I want to thank President Cyril Ramaphosa and my counterpart, the Foreign Minister of South Africa, for accepting our plea,” he added.
According to Hon Ablakwa, the successful negotiations mean there are currently no Ghanaian nationals serving prison sentences in South Africa.
“So now, there is no Ghanaian in any South African prison; we have brought all of them back home,” he stated.
He explained that the evacuation forms part of broader government efforts to ensure the safety of Ghanaians caught up in the recent wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa.
The Minister added that the returnees would receive reintegration support to help them settle back into life in Ghana.
