By Prince Ahenkorah
The government of Ghana spent GH¢49.72 million to evacuate 1,900 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks that threatened the safety of African migrants,
Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has disclosed that GH¢38.84 million of the amount was spent on chartered flights, air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation and medical care for Ghanaians evacuated during the exercise.
An additional GH¢10.80 million was used to provide reintegration support and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 was spent on the repatriation of two mortal remains.
Ablakwa said the government had successfully completed the second phase of the evacuation exercise, which brought home approximately 1,000 Ghanaians who had voluntarily registered to return.
The latest exercise followed an earlier evacuation conducted in May and June, during which 979 Ghanaians were brought home in three batches. This brought the total number of returnees to 1,900.
In a Facebook post on Friday, September 4, Ablakwa said the government’s intervention demonstrated its commitment to protecting Ghanaian citizens caught in dangerous situations abroad.
“We achieved this together as Ghanaians. Our message is clear: we value the lives of Ghanaians everywhere in the world, and no Ghanaian will be abandoned in harm’s way,” he said.
The evacuation followed reports of harassment, intimidation, looting, destruction of property and attacks on African migrants, particularly in Durban and other commercial centres in South Africa.
The incidents raised concerns over the safety of Ghanaian nationals living and working in affected communities, prompting the government to facilitate their voluntary return to Ghana.
Ablakwa said returnees were provided with a range of support services to help them settle back into their communities.
These included reintegration financial assistance, transportation allowances, medical and psychosocial support, free health insurance registration and ongoing employment assistance.
The Minister also expressed condolences to the families of four Ghanaians who lost their lives during the unrest, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting Ghanaians living abroad.