The government has announced a GH¢5,500 support package for each Ghanaian evacuated from South Africa as part of measures to help them reintegrate into society following their return.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra on Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said each returnee would receive a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and a GH¢500 travel and transport allowance, in addition to relief items from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and free registration under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The government is undertaking the evacuation in two phases, with nearly 2,000 Ghanaians expected to return home. The first phase has already brought back 926 people, while a second phase is expected to evacuate about 1,000 more.

Mr. Ablakwa said the government would publish a full account of the evacuation exercise after its completion, adding that the operation had also received support from corporate organisations and philanthropists, including businessman Ibrahim Mahama.

Beyond the cash assistance, the minister said the government had introduced reintegration programmes focused on employment, skills development and entrepreneurship.

He said all returnees would be enrolled in a national database to connect them with job opportunities, business support initiatives and vocational training.

According to him, a multi-agency Presidential Task Force on Reintegration has been established to coordinate the process, bringing together the ministries responsible for employment, education, trade, gender and local government.

The task force has begun conducting skills assessments through interviews with returnees to identify their professional backgrounds and employment needs.

Mr. Ablakwa said the government had already secured about 200 jobs through partnerships with the private sector.

He said Engineers and Planners Limited had committed 100 employment opportunities, while Telecel Ghana, AirtelTigo and other companies had also offered opportunities.

“Government believes strongly that no Ghanaian returning home under distressing circumstances should feel abandoned or excluded from national support systems,” he said.

To support the wellbeing of returnees, he said social workers would undertake follow-up visits over the next six months, while a dedicated helpline had been established to provide assistance.

The government also plans a public education campaign to discourage the stigmatization of returnees.

Ablakwa further disclosed that a register of claims was being compiled to support legal and diplomatic efforts to seek compensation for returnees who lost businesses and property during the xenophobic attacks.

He added that AirtelTigo and Telecel Ghana had also provided SIM registration services as well as voice and data packages for all returnees.

On the diplomatic front, the minister said Ghana had petitioned theAfrican Union (AU) to urgently address recurring xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians and other African nationals.

He said the petition highlighted the loss of lives, attacks on migrants, destruction of businesses and the broader threat such incidents posed to African unity and continental integration.

Although the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting was postponed, Mr. Ablakwa said Ghana had maintained the petition and secured the endorsement of ECOWAS Heads of State to table the matter at the next AU meeting.

He stressed that the petition was not intended to target South Africa but rather to encourage a continent-wide response to protect the rights and dignity of African citizens.

The minister added that the Chairperson of the AU Commission had reaffirmed the continental body’s commitment to addressing the issue and had already engaged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola on the matter.