An emotional story has emerged among the nearly 300 Ghanaians who recently returned home from South Africa following rising anti-immigrant protests in the country.
According to reports, one of the returnees, a man believed to be in his early 50s, reportedly sold his family’s land 16 years ago to travel to South Africa in search of a better life.
Sadly, after years abroad, he has now returned to Ghana empty-handed.
The group of returnees, which included women and children, arrived in Accra from Johannesburg as part of what authorities described as a voluntary repatriation exercise for Ghanaians who no longer felt safe amid growing xenophobic tensions in South Africa.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, welcomed the returnees at the airport and assured them of psychosocial support and financial assistance to help them restart their lives.
Friends of the man reportedly revealed that he sacrificed his family’s land with hopes of building a better future overseas, but things did not go as planned.
His story has since touched many Ghanaians online, with social media users expressing sympathy and using the moment to reflect on the harsh realities some migrants face abroad.
The incident also highlights the growing concerns surrounding xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant sentiments in parts of South Africa.
