Ghana has repatriated 216 citizens from South Africa in the past three days as xenophobic violence against migrants escalates.
The Ghanaian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that hundreds more Ghanaians living in South Africa had asked to be brought home. In May and June, Ghana had already flown back about 1,000 citizens on repatriation flights.
South Africa has been gripped for months by large-scale anti-migrant protests. Since extremist groups launched a campaign against immigrants, more than 160,000 people have left the country, according to figures released by several African governments in recent weeks.
The groups had set 30 June as a deadline for migrants without residence permits to leave South Africa. Four migrants have already been killed in xenophobic attacks.
The African Union said it had asked South Africa for an official response to the unrest. Nigeria’s government said it was documenting the material damage after homes and businesses owned by foreigners, including Nigerians, were looted and destroyed.
As Africa’s largest economy, South Africa has long attracted people from across the continent fleeing conflict, escaping authoritarian rule or seeking better opportunities.
The country has repeatedly been shaken by xenophobic violence in the past. Since a first wave in 2008, such attacks have returned every few years, but observers say the current unrest appears broader in scale and better organised.
