Ghana begin evacuation of first set of citizens from South Africa ova anti-immigrant protests

Ghanaian authorities don begin evacuate di first group of 800 citizens dem say register to come back di kontri from South Africa on Wednesday morning.

BBC see dozens of buses wey Ghanaian embassy charter dey drop passengers for Johannesburg OR Tambo airport around 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Men, women and children of all ages dey among dem. One smaller group of pipo also come for inside one police van and dem dey apart from di majority of passengers and police dey watch dem.

Dis action dey come afta wave of protests against illegal immigration for South African cities in recent weeks, wey don lead to fears say e fit spark xenophobic violence for di kontri.

All the passengers dey registered by embassy and airport staff.

Ghanaian authorities tell BBC say 300 pipo go leave on Wednesday morning. Dem still dey screen di remaining registered citizens and dem go comot for a later date.

Rudolph, wey don leave for South Africa for 10 years and wey get salon wey e dey manage, tell BBC say im dey leave sake of di recent protests.

"E no dey comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we gatz go. I think we go find peace for house," e tok.

About 25,000 Ghanaians dey live for South Africa.

Demonstrators say illegal migrants dey put pressure on public services and don ask South African govment to do more to stop am.

Na one group wey di name na March and March bin organise di demonstrations. Di group describe diasef as a citizen-led movement for immigration reform.

Dem set 30 June as deadline for illegal immigrants to comot di kontri. Rudolph worry say di deadline fit lead to violence.

"Di protests start for Durban, and don escalate go oda provinces. So e dey sure say something bad fit happun."

E add say im no go ever return to South Africa.

Ghanaian High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie tell BBC say im go ensure say di kontri citizens dey safe.

"Di Ghanaian govment don listen to di plight of dia citizens in South Africa, wey feel say dia lives dey for danger, wey feel say di economic activity dem dey do no pay again, wey feel unwelcome for dis kontri, and na di responsibility of evri govment to ensure say dia citizens dey taken care of both home and abroad."

Wen tori pipo ask wetin Ghana officials dey do to ensure say illegal migrants from Ghana no enta to South Africa, e say dem get reintegration strategy in place for dos wey dey return.

"Di govment ready to establish dem for whatever business dem bin dey do for South Africa. In a way, we also dey help di South African economy, bicos e dey clear that some of dem dey undocumented.

"So taking dem out of here go let dem know say we no be pipo pipo wey no dey permit undocumented pipo for countries."

Some analysts suggest sy di resurgence of anti-migrant sentiment for South Africa fit dey linked to local elections scheduled for November.

For 2019, rioters kill at least 12 pipo and for 2008, 62 foreign nationals die inside attacks on foreigners across di kontri.

But di organisers of recent protests say e dey peaceful.

Earlier dis month, di South African govment condem criminal acts directed at foreigners, as dem add say di kontri need to deal with illegal immigration.