A flight carrying almost 300 Ghanaians has left South Africa - part of a group of around 800 people who registered for repatriation.

🌐 Here's What Happened

It follows a wave of protests against illegal immigration in South African cities in recent weeks, leading to fears there could be a resurgence in xenophobic violence in the country.

Ghanaian High Commissioner Benjamin Quashie told the BBC his government had a duty to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Men, women and children of all ages were among those who arrived by bus early in the morning at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport. A smaller group arrived in a police van and were kept apart from the majority of passengers and were watched over by police.

📌 Key Details

All the passengers were registered by embassy and airport staff.

Quashie confirmed that when the flight left it was carrying 297 Ghanaian citizens.

He said a mother and her two children were not permitted to leave as she did not have the children's birth certificates.

Few of the departing passengers wanted to speak to journalists but Rudolph, who has lived in South Africa for 10 years and runs a salon, told the BBC he was leaving because of the recent protests.

"It's not comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we have to go. I think we will find peace at home," he said.

There are an estimated 25,000 Ghanaians living in South Africa.

📰 Source: BBC Africa