VIDEO: ‘Only 10 were legal’ – South African immigration claim as first batch of 300 Ghanaians head home
Only 10 of the first 300 Ghanaians who presented themselves for repatriation from South Africa were in the country legally, immigration officials at OR Tambo International Airport have claimed.
The remaining 290 were found to be non-compliant with South African immigration legislation, a disclosure that has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing voluntary repatriation exercise.
Officials said enforcement actions, including sanctions, would now be applied to those who violated the law.
"We obviously have to make sure that certain sanctions are enforced," an immigration official said in an interview with eNCA.
The first group of returnees left South Africa on Wednesday. More than 800 Ghanaians are said to have so far registered with the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria for the voluntary repatriation programme.
The repatriation comes amid a wider national debate in South Africa over the presence and documentation of foreign nationals.
Immigration officials indicated that the legal status of all remaining registered returnees would continue to be scrutinised as more groups are processed in the coming days.
"We found that many of them did not comply with the South African immigration legislation. There are certain transgressions found and therefore we'll have to make sure sanctions are enforced," an official said.
More Ghanaian nationals are expected to be repatriated in the coming days.
Watch the video below;
The first group Ghanaian nationals are on their way back home. They have been boarding their flight at OR Tambo International Airport, after taking up a repatriation offer from their government. Out of the 300 screened before the departure, only 10 were in South Africa legally.… pic.twitter.com/5A88HVRcRX
— eNCA (@eNCA) May 27, 2026
