-
Ghana nationals going through immigration process at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on May 27, 2026.
Home Affairs says only 10 of the 300 Ghanaian nationals who applied to be repatriated to their country were legal in South Africa.
This comes as the West African country’s High Commission has now confirmed that fewer than 300 of its citizens have boarded the repatriation flight from SA to Accra.
Some Ghanaians have been turned away because their papers are not in order.
They will be given an opportunity to travel on the second repatriation flight this week.
The Ghanaians are departing as protests against undocumented migrants continue in South Africa.
Home Affairs’ Immigration and Law Enforcement Head Stephen van Neel says, “Of the three hundred individuals that were on that list we only found 10 of them being legal in the country, the rest of them are illegal without documents or actually not complying or have overstayed but there are some sanctions that needs to be taken and the the department of Home Affairs will indeed make that those are implemented.”
The repatriation flight remains grounded hours after its scheduled 4 AM departure. Officials are working to finalise checks and ensure all procedures are complied with before the Ghanaian nationals can leave.
Those earmarked for repatriation arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in the early hours and are still undergoing processing.
VIDEO | Interview with Van Neel:
RETALIATE
Ghana’s High Commissioner in South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie says his country will not retaliate as protests against undocumented migrants continue.
Quashie says, “Ever since this whole March and March and Dudula started, have you seen any Ghanaian in the streets of Accra going after any South Africans, no. You know why? The state institutions in Ghana work.”
“We believe that if there are any South African that’s needs to be repatriated to SA, it’s not an individual responsibility to do, it’s the responsibility of the state institutions. We are living in a very law-abiding environment, a law-abiding society.”
Quashie adds, “So we believe that if there will be no reprisal attacks, my ministry of foreign affairs has stated time without number, do not expect any reprisal attacks from Ghana. Ghana is bigger and would ensure that we continue to work together with the spirit of pan-Africanism.”
Additional reporting by Lebo Tshangela and Ntombi Sithubi.
