First Ghanaians set to be repatriated from South Africa over anti-immigrant protests

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. First Ghanaians set to be repatriated from South Africa over anti-immigrant protests4 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMayeni JonesJohannesburg ReutersGhana has plans to evacuate more nationals and further departures are expected in the coming daysGhanaian authorities are repatriating the first group of 800 citizens they say have registered to be flown home from South Africa on Wednesday morning. The saw dozens of buses chartered by the Ghanaian embassy dropping off passengers at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport around 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Wednesday. There were men, women and children of all ages.

A smaller group of people also arrived in a police van and were kept apart from the majority of passengers and watched over by police. It follows a wave of protests against illegal immigration in South African cities in recent weeks, leading to fears there could be a resurgence in xenophobic violence in the country. South Africa's top envoy to Ghana summoned over attacks on foreignersSouth Africa condemns 'fake videos' of alleged xenophobic attacksAll the passengers were registered by embassy and airport staff.

The Details

Ghanaian authorities told the that an initial 300 people would leave on Wednesday morning. The remaining registered citizens were still being screened and would depart at a later date. Few of the departing passengers wanted to speak to journalists but Rudolph, who's lived in South Africa for 10 years and runs a salon, told the he was leaving because of the recent protests.

"It's not comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we have to go. I think we will find peace at home," he said. 'We'll find peace at home': The Ghanaians leaving South AfricaThere are an estimated 25,000 Ghanaians living in South Africa.

Demonstrators say illegal migrants are putting pressure on public services and have asked the South African government to do more to stop it. The demonstrations have been organised by a group called March and March, which describes itself as a citizen-led movement for immigration reform. It has set a 30 June deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country.

What Experts Say

Rudolph worries that deadline could lead to violence. "The protests started in Durban, and they've escalated to other provinces. So definitely something bad could happen.

" He added he would never return to South Africa. Ghanaian High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie told the he wanted to ensure the country's citizens were safe. "The Ghanaian government listened to the plight of its citizens in South Africa, who felt that their lives were in danger, who felt like the economic activity that they were engaging in had come to a standstill, who felt unwelcome in this country, and it is the responsibility of every government to ensure that its citizens are taken care of both home and abroad.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.