The government has secured about 200 employment opportunities for Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.
The minister disclosed this on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Accra International Airport when Ghana received the second batch of about 340 citizens evacuated under a government-led emergency repatriation programme.
According to Ablakwa, the jobs form part of efforts to support the full reintegration of returnees who lost businesses, properties and livelihoods during the attacks.
“We are not only concerned about evacuating you, but we are concerned about your full integration. Those of you who are willing, able, and ready to work, we will actively facilitate employment opportunities,” he said.
He explained that a special government initiative aimed at securing jobs for affected citizens had received strong support from Ghanaian entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.
Ablakwa revealed that Engineers & Planners had committed to providing 100 jobs, while telecommunications companies including Telecel Ghana and AirtelTigo had also indicated their readiness to offer employment opportunities.
He said the government remains committed to helping returnees rebuild their lives and regain economic independence.
The minister praised President John Dramani Mahama for what he described as compassionate leadership throughout the evacuation process.
“I want to begin by extending to you warm greetings from President John Dramani Mahama. He is a leader who cares, a leader who is compassionate, and one who will never abandon his citizens in harm’s way,” he stated.
Ablakwa also announced that government was preparing legal action to seek compensation for citizens who lost businesses, investments and properties during the attacks.
He urged returnees to provide evidence and documentation of their losses to support the compensation process.
“We are putting together legal processes that we will activate to ensure that those properties, investments, and businesses you have lost will be compensated,” he said.
The minister further disclosed that President Mahama had directed him to petition the African Union on the matter and would personally raise the issue at the bloc’s next coordinating meeting.
He noted that Ghana’s evacuation operation had attracted attention from other African countries, with several foreign ministers reportedly seeking information on the strategy employed by Ghana.
According to him, Ghana successfully evacuated its citizens without recording any fatalities.
“Life comes first. You may have lost businesses and properties, but once you have life, there is hope,” he told the returnees.
Ablakwa also highlighted the contribution of Ghanaians abroad to the national economy, noting that diaspora remittances reached a record US$7.8 billion last year, making them Ghana’s second-largest source of foreign exchange after gold exports.
He further revealed that all evacuees screened by Ghanaian and South African security agencies had passed security checks without a single arrest.
“Not a single Ghanaian has been arrested throughout the screening process. It confirms that Ghanaians are law-abiding and not criminals as some sought to portray them,” he said.
The minister announced that the final batch of evacuees was expected to arrive on Sunday, bringing the total number of Ghanaians repatriated from South Africa to nearly 1,000.
Meanwhile, Gender Minister Agnes Naa Momo Lartey assured returnees of continued government support and encouraged them to take advantage of available social interventions and economic opportunities.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh also announced that all evacuees would be registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme free of charge, adding that health professionals and counsellors had been deployed to assist them.
The evacuation exercise, coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, forms part of government efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of Ghanaians affected by the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa.
