Foreign minister details backstory of 26 prisoners among 300 SA returnees

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that 26 Ghanaian inmates were part of the first group of 300 nationals evacuated from South Africa on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, amid recent xenophobic tensions.

According to a report by adomonline.com on May 28, 2026, after the evacuees arrived at the Accra International Airport, the minister said the Ghanaian government successfully negotiated with South African authorities for the release and repatriation of the detainees, who had been held over visa and residency-related offences.

“Let me welcome the 26 Ghanaians whom we negotiated for. They were in prison over visa violations, and we appealed to the South African government that since we were evacuating our nationals, we did not want any Ghanaian left behind in prison,” he stated.

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Ablakwa expressed gratitude to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s foreign minister for cooperating with Ghana during the evacuation process.

“I want to thank President Cyril Ramaphosa and my counterpart, the Foreign Minister of South Africa, for accepting our plea,” he added.

According to the minister, the arrangement means there are currently no Ghanaian nationals being held in South African prisons following the exercise.

“So now, there is no Ghanaian in any South African prison; we have brought all of them back home,” he said.

The evacuation forms part of government’s efforts to protect Ghanaians affected by rising xenophobic attacks and tensions in parts of South Africa.

Government officials had earlier explained that the repatriation exercise would focus on Ghanaians who voluntarily opted to return home due to security concerns.

Authorities say returnees will receive reintegration support to help them settle back into life in Ghana.

VPO