Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has defended the payment of equal reintegration and transport allowances to children and adults evacuated from South Africa.
He said each evacuee, including children, received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration allowance and GH¢500 for transport upon arrival at the airport in Accra.
“You heard the Minority saying that they have seen minors on the list. I stated publicly on the 7th of September when I addressed the country. That was the day I revealed for the first time that Engineers and Planners have supported the exercise with GH16 million,”
“I stated clearly that on President Mahama’s instruction, all the children received the same amount,” he noted on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 17.
His explanation followed concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament about the inclusion of minors on the list of allowance recipients.
Mr Ablakwa said the children also needed financial support to rebuild their lives, particularly to enrol in schools and continue their education in Ghana.
“These families need support. If you have children, you have to take care of them; you have to look for schools for these children, so do not just think only about the parents or the guardian; also have a package for the children,” he said.
He explained that their reintegration needs justified receiving the same amount as their parents, as returning home also meant readjusting to a different educational environment.
The evacuation brought 1,964 Ghanaians home between May 27 and September 4, 2026, following renewed xenophobic attacks and intimidation against foreign nationals in South Africa. The ministry put the total cost at GH¢49,721,786.
On September 18, the Ministry submitted a report exceeding 200 pages to the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, in response to a Right to Information request. The documents included evacuees’ contact details and signatures.