663 Ghanaian nationals repatriated from SA to Ghana

The Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Dr Michael Masiapato, has confirmed that 663 Ghanaian nationals were repatriated from South Africa to Ghana over the weekend.

On Saturday, a group of 332 Ghanaian nationals was brought to OR Tambo International Airport by the Ghanaian High Commission in Pretoria for repatriation.

According to the BMA, of the travellers processed, 170 were travelling on Ghanaian ordinary passports, while 162 were using Emergency Travel Certificates issued by the Ghanaian High Commission in Pretoria.

“Emergency Travel Certificates are single-use travel documents issued to facilitate the return of citizens to their country of origin,” added the BMA

During immigration processing, 321 travellers were also found to have overstayed their allocated period of stay in South Africa by 30 days or longer. Consequently, they were declared undesirable in terms of the Immigration Act.

Only 323 passengers were found eligible to depart and subsequently boarded a chartered flight arranged by the Government of Ghana through its High Commission in Pretoria. Meanwhile, nine passengers were, however, offloaded from the flight. These included two couples and their five children.

According to reports, one woman and a man were declared medically unfit to travel by airline personnel and were transferred to the airport clinic for further medical attention.

On Sunday, a further group of 331 Ghanaian nationals was brought to OR Tambo International Airport for repatriation.

Among those processed, 117 travellers were using Ghanaian ordinary passports, while 90 were travelling on Emergency Travel Certificates, and 37 minor children born in South Africa were also processed using Emergency Travel Certificates.

BMA Immigration officials further processed 25 asylum seekers, who voluntarily submitted withdrawal letters to cancel their asylum applications.

“During the verification process, 170 travellers were found to have overstayed their allocated period of stay in South Africa by 30 days or longer and were consequently declared undesirable.”

At the end of the process, 341 passengers, including 10 deportees brought by the Department of Home Affairs, were cleared for departure. One traveller did not check in.