Stranded Ghanaians in South Africa Plead for Fresh Evacuation Window, "We Have No Place To Sleep"
- Ghanaians still in South Africa say they lost their jobs, businesses and accommodation following renewed xenophobic attacks
- The government ended its voluntary evacuation exercise after 1,964 returnees arrived, with the final batch of 41 landing on September 4
- Margaret Amenuvegbe, a hairdresser who lived in South Africa for 14 years, spoke about her desperate situation on Citi FM
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Ghanaians still living in South Africa have called on the government to reopen its voluntary evacuation exercise, saying their living and working conditions have reached a breaking point following a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks.
Source: Facebook
The appeal comes after authorities formally ended the exercise upon the arrival of the final group of 41 returnees in Ghana on 4 September 2026, bringing the total number of evacuees to 1,964.
But for those who remain, the closure of that window has left them without a clear path home.
Margaret Amenuvegbe, one of the Ghanaians still in South Africa, spoke about her situation during an appearance on Citi FM on Monday, 7 September 2026.
She explained that she and others had initially registered for the evacuation but did not attend the subsequent screening after receiving discouraging reports about overcrowding and poor conditions at the evacuation centres.
"We wanted to come. We were ready to come because they even chased us from where we were working and then where we were sleeping," she said.
Amenuvegbe said she had spent 14 years in South Africa working as a hairdresser before immigration-related difficulties made it impossible for her to continue.
She noted that the predicament is particularly severe for Ghanaians who do not hold valid work permits, as they face compounded legal and economic pressures.
She said her immediate group includes four adults and four children, all hoping to return to Ghana, and that many other Ghanaians are facing similar hardship.
Amenuvegbe urged the government to open another evacuation window to give those still in distress the chance to come home.
The Facebook post below provides more details about the calls for evacuation.
Ghanaian government yet to respond
The government has not publicly indicated whether it plans to revisit the exercise.
The evacuation was initially launched in response to the safety concerns of Ghanaians living in South Africa amid the escalating xenophobic climate.
While nearly 2,000 Ghanaians benefited from the programme, those who missed the registration or screening process say they now find themselves in a far more vulnerable position.
Ghana condemns killing of Ghanaian in SA
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Ghanaian government condemned the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on June 30, 2026.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on July 1, describing the killing as a senseless act of violence during anti-immigrant demonstrations.
Ghana's High Commission in Pretoria formally lodged a protest with South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
