The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a Right to Information (RTI) request from the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, by providing a report of more than 200 pages on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa amid xenophobic attacks.

A source at the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs told MyJoyOnline that the response was submitted electronically on Friday, 18 September 2026. It contains information on more than 1,900 evacuees, including their contact details and signatures.

The evacuation exercise, which ran from 27 May to 4 September 2026, brought 1,964 Ghanaians home at a total cost of GH¢49,721,786.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed the figures at a press conference on 7 September 2026.

Of the total expenditure, GH¢38,835,512 was used for chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, food, accommodation and medical care.

A further GH¢10,802,000 was spent on reintegration and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 covered the repatriation of the remains of two Ghanaian nationals.

The government contributed GH¢33,721,786 towards the operation, while Engineers and Planners provided GH¢16 million.

RTI request filed before evacuation ended

The disclosure follows an RTI application submitted by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh while the evacuation exercise was still underway.

The Minority requested detailed financial and operational records to enable Parliament and the public to scrutinise the expenditure. These included information on flights, procurement processes, payments, private-sector contributions and reintegration assistance.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry had indicated that it would provide a comprehensive account after the operation had been completed.

The exercise ended on 4 September 2026 with the arrival of the final group of 41 returnees. The Ministry subsequently announced that nearly 2,000 Ghanaians had been brought home.

Minority seeks supporting documents

The Minority has maintained that the GH¢49.7 million expenditure must be supported by the relevant financial and operational records.

At a press conference, Minority representatives said they did not oppose the evacuation of Ghanaians facing threats in South Africa but wanted documentary evidence showing how the funds were spent.

They specifically requested records covering flights, accommodation, food, medical services and reintegration support, as well as invoices, payment vouchers, receipts, contracts and procurement documents.

The Ministry’s response is intended to provide the documentation requested by the MP as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

Ministry requests audit of evacuations since 2017

As a further accountability measure, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has asked the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit of evacuation exercises undertaken by the Ministry from 2017 to date.

According to documents reviewed by MyJoyOnline, the request was submitted to the Auditor-General on 17 September 2026.

The proposed audit will extend beyond the South Africa operation to examine previous evacuation exercises conducted by the Ministry during the period.