The Government of Ghana has announced a GH¢5,500 financial package for each Ghanaian citizen evacuated from South Africa, alongside comprehensive reintegration, healthcare, and employment support following recent xenophobic disruptions.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed that the financial assistance comprises a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and a GH¢500 travel and transport allowance per person.
In addition to direct cash support, evacuees are receiving relief supplies from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), free National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration, and complimentary SIM cards loaded with voice and data packages from telecom operators Telecel Ghana and AirtelTigo.
The government’s evacuation plan spans two distinct phases aimed at repatriating nearly 2,000 affected citizens: Successfully completed with the safe return of 926 Ghanaians and Currently underway to evacuate an additional estimated 1,000 citizens.
Minister Ablakwa noted that the exercise is being financed through a combination of state funds, corporate partnerships, and private donations, highlighting contributions from business mogul Ibrahim Mahama. A full financial audit of the evacuation process will be published once operations conclude.
To ensure long-term stability, a multi-agency Presidential Task Force on Reintegration has been established. The team—comprising representatives from the Ministries of Employment, Education, Trade, Gender, and Local Government—has initiated a skills-mapping exercise to evaluate each returnee’s qualifications and career goals.
Approximately 200 corporate positions have been secured so far, including 100 roles pledged by Engineers and Planners Limited, along with additional openings at Telecel Ghana and AirtelTigo. All returnees are being enrolled in a dedicated database to match them with employment, technical training, and startup capital.
Social workers will conduct six months of follow-up visits, supported by a dedicated helpline and a national public awareness campaign designed to combat social stigmatization.A formal register of claims is being compiled to pursue legal and diplomatic avenues for compensation regarding lost assets and destroyed businesses in South Africa.
“Government believes strongly that no Ghana returning home under distressing circumstances should feel abandoned or excluded from national support systems” Ablakwa stated.
Beyond domestic relief efforts, the Ghanaian government has submitted an official petition to the African Union (AU) addressing recurring xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants in South Africa. Supported by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, the petition underscores the loss of lives, damage to migrant-owned businesses, and threats to regional integration, calling for a unified continental response.
Ghanaian authorities confirmed that AU Commission leadership has engaged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on the matter to safeguard the rights and dignity of all African nationals across the continent.
Ayuusah Philbert Amiba