Ghana suspends South Africa evacuation registration after 1,500 sign up

Ghana’s High Commission in South Africa has announced the temporary suspension of registration for its ongoing voluntary evacuation exercise, citing the need to process and verify a large volume of applications already received.

In a statement issued on June 1, the mission said the suspension will take effect from Tuesday, June 2, 2026, and is intended to allow the High Commission and relevant Home Affairs authorities to screen applications submitted under the programme.

According to the statement, more than 1,500 Ghanaians living in South Africa have registered for the exercise so far, with verification and processing currently underway.

“The temporary suspension is to enable the High Commission and the Home Affairs process and screen the large number of applications already received,” the mission said.

The High Commission stressed that the evacuation exercise has not ended and assured Ghanaians who have not yet registered that another registration phase will be announced after the current applications have been processed.

“The date of the next phase for the new registration will be communicated in due course,” the statement said, adding that “the repatriation exercise has not yet ended.”

The mission expressed appreciation to the Ghanaian community in South Africa for its cooperation, patience and understanding during the process, describing these as essential to ensuring a well-coordinated exercise.

The announcement comes amid efforts by Ghanaian authorities to manage growing interest in the voluntary repatriation programme and ensure that applications are thoroughly assessed before the next phase of registration begins.