H.E Benjamin Quarshie, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, has said 80% of repatriated Ghanaians from South Africa were documented.
According to him, only 20 per cent of the repatriated Ghanaians from South Africa were undocumented.
He argued that the South African government and its immigration staff are just trying to spin the narrative to suit their own agenda.
Benjamin Quarshie further challenged the Home Affairs officer over their alleged claims that only 10 of the 300 evacuees were documented to present their facts.
Speaking in an interview with Accra-based TV3, Benjamin Quarshie said,” I can say for a fact that 80% of the repatriated Ghanaians from South Africa were documented. Only 20% were undocumented.”
I have challenged the Home Affairs officer who alleged that only 10 of the 300 evacuees were documented to present his facts. In the days to come, we will put out facts for everyone to judge. I am surprised these figures are coming from him, and I’m sure he will retract his statement in the days to come,” he added.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa’s remarks follow reports gathered suggest the Immigration officials at OR Tambo International Airport have revealed that out of the 300 evacuated Ghanaians, only 10 were in South Africa legally.
According to the Home Affairs Immigration and Law Enforcement head, Stephen van Neel, authorities found widespread immigration violations among the group.
Speaking to reporters, Stephen van Neel stated, “Of the 300 individuals that were on that list, we only found 10 of them to be legal in the country…We obviously have to make sure that certain sanctions are enforced”.
Meanwhile, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has disclosed that more evacuation flights from South Africa will take place next week.
In a statement on his X page, Ablakwa wrote, “Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah must be proud of us. More evacuation flights next week. For God and Country.”
His comments follow the 297 Ghanaians who were on board the initial flight and were met on arrival by senior government officials.
Ablakwa disclosed that among the first batch of 297 Ghanaians who arrived at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Tuesday, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, 26 of them were detained Ghanaians in South Africa.
Speaking to the evacuees during a reception ceremony at the airport, Mr Ablakwa said,
“We negotiated with the South African government that since we are evacuating our nationals, we don’t want to leave anybody behind in prison,” the Minister stated.
“So now, there is no Ghanaian in any South African prison for visa violations. We have brought all of them back home”.
“Today, the Mahama administration is demonstrating that wherever Ghanaians are, we will make sure you are protected, your dignity is respected, and we will go to the length of this world to bring you back home safely,” he said.
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— B.You by Berla Mundi (@berlamundi) May 27, 2026
