Overstayed Visas Dominate Returns of Ghanaians from South Africa – Lamola

By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada

Ronald Lamola explained that the affected individuals were processed under formal immigration procedures, with authorities classifying many as undesirable under South African law. He stressed that enforcement actions were not arbitrary but grounded in established legal frameworks.

“As I’ve said earlier on, with the bulk of all Ghanaians that have come back home, almost 74% had overstayed, and they had been declared undesirable through our processes, and this is the law, and this has been communicated to the High Commissioner,” Mr Lamola stated.

He further emphasised that South Africa’s constitutional obligations require equal protection for all residents, regardless of nationality or immigration status.

“We are indeed protecting all people within the borders of South Africa. Constitutionally, we are duty-bound to protect everyone, including Ghanaian nationals,” he said.

Commentary | Boakye Stephen

This development highlights the ongoing tension between immigration enforcement and migrant community protection in South Africa. While the minister frames the issue as procedural compliance, the scale of overstays suggests deeper systemic challenges in visa monitoring and labour migration regulation between African states.