The Ghanaian government will next week disclose how much it spent to bring home nearly 1,900 citizens evacuated from South Africa following a wave of xenophobic attacks, as the months-long operation draws to a close.
The announcement follows the arrival of the final batch of 41 Ghanaians in Accra on Friday, September 4, bringing to an end an evacuation exercise that began in May following xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the Ministry would next week “present a comprehensive report and account fully and transparently to the great people of Ghana.”
The report will provide the first full picture of the resources committed to an operation that involved evacuating nearly 1,900 Ghanaians and supporting their return and reintegration.
The government provided returnees with reintegration financial support, transportation allowances, medical care, psychosocial support, free health insurance registration and employment assistance. The second phase of the exercise accounted for about 1,000 of the total evacuees.
With the evacuation now completed, the Ministry’s report is expected to bring greater clarity to the financial cost of transporting the returnees and providing the support packages that accompanied their arrival in Ghana.
The exercise has also highlighted the wider economic consequences of disruptions affecting Ghanaians living and working abroad. Many citizens overseas support households at home through remittances, while others operate businesses and maintain investments in their host countries. Sudden displacement can therefore affect not only the individuals directly involved but also families and economic activities connected to them in Ghana.
Ablakwa said the evacuation had been made possible through cooperation between government institutions and private-sector partners, adding that the government remained committed to protecting Ghanaians living abroad.
The Ministry said the remains of two Ghanaians who were attacked and killed in South Africa were repatriated, while another returnee died after arriving in Accra.
