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- Author, myeni jones
- reporting from, johannesburg
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published
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About 300 Ghanaians, including women and children, who had received government aid, returned from South Africa and arrived in Accra.
He became part of the De Ova 1000 Pipo and expressed interest in returning home due to anti-immigration protests in South Africa, calling for undocumented immigrants to leave by June 30.
Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudjato Ablakwa and Oda government officials welcomed him to D Airport.
The DI 297 arrived on a chartered flight arranged by the Ghanaian government.
They include men, women and children of all ages.
The crackdown comes after a wave of protests against illegal immigration have swept South African cities in recent weeks, raising fears it could spark xenophobic violence in the country.
All passengers were registered by embassy and airport staff.
Before my arrival, Rudolph, who lived in South Africa for 10 years and owned a salon which he managed, told the BBC that I was leaving because of the recent protests.
“It's not comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we can leave. I think we're going to find peace for home,” he said.
About 25,000 Ghanaians live in South Africa.
Protesters say illegal immigrants put a strain on public services and call on the South African government to do more to stop them.
A group called March and March organized demonstrations. The group describes DiSafe as a citizen-led movement for immigration reform.
The government fixed June 30 as the deadline for illegal immigrants to enter the country. Rudolph worries that the deadline could lead to violence.
“The protests start in Durban, and later move to Oda provinces. So they definitely say something bad must have happened.”
He said that I would not return to South Africa.
Ghana's High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie told the BBC that I am going to ensure that the citizens of the country remain safe.
“The Ghanaian government has not listened to the plight of Indian citizens of South Africa, they believe Dia is living in danger, they believe they no longer have to pay for economic activities, they feel unprepared for the sector, and it is not the responsibility of the Ghanaian government to ensure that their citizens are looked after both at home and abroad.”
Where did this photo come from? EPA
When he asked Ghanaian authorities what they were doing to ensure that illegal immigrants from Ghana do not enter South Africa, he said they should adopt a reintegration strategy to return.
“The government is ready to set them up for whatever businesses will do for South Africa. In a way, we are also helping the South African economy, because they have clearly stated that some of the demands are undocumented.
“So get them out of here and tell them we are no Pipo, they allow undocumented Pipo for contras.”
Some analysts say the resurgence of anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa may be linked to local elections in November.
For 2019, rioters killed at least 12 Pipo and for 2008, 62 foreign nationals were killed in attacks on foreigners in De Conti.
But organizers of the recent protests say they are peaceful.
Photos of Ghanaians who arrived today
