South Africa: 300 Ghanaians leave amid xenophobic tensions

The first group of 300 Ghanaians departed on a special repatriation flight from South Africa to Accra on Wednesday, according to Ghana's Foreign Ministry. 

The Ghanaians departed from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.  

A South African immigration official told local station eNCA that only 10 of the Ghanaians on the flight were in South Africa legally, "so quite a number of them are in non-compliance to our immigration act." 

The next repatriation flight would take place on Sunday, according to Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa.

Some 800 Ghanaians in total are expected to leave as part of the repatriation program. Ghana has pledged to help its repatriated citizens with financial, psychological and social support.

Anti-immigrant protests flare up in South Africa

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The evacuation flight on Wednesday comes as anti-immigration demos and violence targeting foreigners become more widespread in South Africa. Protests have taken place in cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.

What's fueling anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa? 

South Africa is the largest economy on the African continent and therefore attracts both legal and undocumented migrants. The current demonstrations are driven by South Africa's economic woes, with unemployment exceeding 30%.

A video of an attack on Emmanuel Asamoah, a Ghanaian in South Africa, went viral last month and stirred fears in the wider Ghanaian community. In April, Ghana summoned South Africa's top envoy over "continuous xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians and other Africans living in South Africa."

Political rhetoric against migrants has also risen ahead of municipal elections in November.     

Earlier this month, Nigeria's foreign minister had said that at least 130 Nigerian citizens in South Africa had been asked to be flown home amid anti-migrant sentiment. 

In May, South African President Cyril Rampahosa said that "there is no place in South Africa for xenophobia, ethnic mobilization, intolerance of violence." 

Edited by: Darko Janjevic