Ghana to Evacuate 300 Citizens from South Africa Amid Protests Over Immigration

Ghana will evacuate 300 citizens from South Africa after they registered with the embassy in Pretoria citing distress over the latest wave of xenophobic attacks. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa posted on X on Tuesday that the Ghanaian president had granted approval for their immediate evacuation.

The 300 Ghanaians had responded to an advisory issued by the Ghanaian foreign ministry following the unrest.

South African authorities denied last week that anyone had been attacked and said the widely circulated videos were fake. On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the recent protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals did not reflect government policy. He described them as isolated acts of criminality.

Ramaphosa added that South Africa would regulate migration, secure its borders and enforce its laws. Thousands of South Africans joined protests against illegal immigration in several cities. Protesters demanded the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals, saying illegal immigration has had an impact on jobs, housing and crime.

On Tuesday, the Ghanaian embassy in South Africa advised nationals to be highly cautious, avoid public gatherings, and shut their shops or businesses in Durban ahead of a protest planned for Wednesday. Ghana and Nigeria have recently summoned the South African envoys to their respective countries over the mistreatment and harassment of their citizens.

Ghana has written to the African Union asking it to discuss the issue, saying it posed a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of Africans in South Africa.

South Africa responded by saying it had nothing to hide. The South African government has condemned the circulation of fake videos and images described by some as recordings of attacks on foreign nationals. Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have warned their citizens in South Africa.

According to official figures, South Africa is home to more than three million foreigners, or about 5% of the population. BBC News reported that there are believed to be many more without papers. Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa and has been accompanied by occasional outbursts of deadly attacks.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's office presented the protests as unrepresentative of broader policy while pledging stricter border controls.