A flight carrying almost 300 Ghanaians has left South Africa – part of a group of around 800 people who registered for repatriation.
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.
Ghanaian High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie told the BBC his government had a duty to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Men, women and children of all ages were among those who arrived by bus early in the morning at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport. A smaller group arrived in a police van and were kept apart from the majority of passengers and were watched over by police.
All the passengers were registered by embassy and airport staff.
Quashie confirmed that when the flight left it was carrying 297 Ghanaian citizens.
He said a mother and her two children were not permitted to leave as she did not have the children’s birth certificates.
Few of the departing passengers wanted to speak to journalists but Rudolph, who has lived in South Africa for 10 years and runs a salon, told the BBC 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.
There 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.
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 said, adding that he would never return to South Africa.
Some link anti-migrant marches to local elections due to take place later this year [EPA]
Quashie told the BBC why the Ghanaian authorities had decided to stepped in: “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.
“It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that its citizens are taken care of both home and abroad.”
When asked what they were doing to ensure illegal migrants from Ghana did not come to South Africa, he said they had a reintegration strategy in place for those returning.
“The government is willing to establish them into whatever business they were doing in South Africa. In a way, we’re also helping the South African economy, because it’s clear that some of them are undocumented,” the diplomat said.
“So taking them out of here will let them know that we are not people who condone undocumented people in countries.”
Some analysts have suggested the resurgence of anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa could be linked to local elections scheduled for November.
In 2019, at least 12 people were killed and in 2008, 62 foreign nationals died in attacks on foreigners across the country.
But the organisers of recent protests have said they have been peaceful.
Earlier this month, the South African government condemned criminal acts directed at foreigners, whilst conceding the country needed to deal with illegal immigration.
In recent days, scores of foreigners have been camping outside South Africa’s home affairs department in Durban, saying they fear for their lives.
The group of more than 300 immigrants first sought refuge at the local police station but were moved to another location before ending up outside the office that deals with refugees and asylum seekers.
A Congolese national told local online publication IOL News they were “asking for protection”.
“We are being told repeatedly that on 30 June, we will be killed and that no foreigner will remain in South Africa,” the woman said.
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