Hundreds of Ghanaians living in South Africa are preparing to return home under a voluntary repatriation exercise, with many citing insecurity, economic hardship and growing uncertainty over the treatment of foreign nationals as reasons for their decision. The first group of Ghanaian nationals is expected to depart South Africa this week after approximately 800 citizens indicated their willingness to return home. The development comes against the backdrop of ongoing debate in South Africa over undocumented migration, tightening immigration enforcement and concerns surrounding xenophobic tensions affecting foreign nationals. Among those preparing to leave is a Ghanaian migrant identified only as Fredrick, who said the dream of finding greener pastures in South Africa had faded after years of hardship and fear. There is no place like home. We came to this country with the intention of greener pastures. But then, we realised that there is nothing much here for us. Coupled with rampant and constant xenophobic attacks and other things that come along with staying here, I felt it is better for me to go home Although he stated that he had not personally suffered xenophobic violence, Fredrick described daily life in Johannesburg as increasingly unsafe and unpredictable. “Even if you are not in danger from xenophobic attacks or riots, there are a lot of things. People can come into your house, point a gun at you and rob you. Even in the streets, you are not safe,” he explained. He argued that frustrations directed at migrants reflected broader systemic failures rather than hostility towards foreigners alone. I do not think it's xenophobia; I think the system has failed. They are angry because the system has failed,” he added. Asked whether he would consider returning to South Africa in future, Fredrick responded emphatically: “Never. I can never come back to South Africa.” Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, has meanwhile called for a more balanced and nuanced approach to discussions surrounding migrants and documentation in the country According to him, while undocumented migration remains a legitimate concern, many Ghanaians living in South Africa have resided and worked legally for years but continue to face bureaucratic delays in renewing permits and residency documentation. “Well, the numbers are quite high for those who are here illegally, and the numbers also for those who are here illegally are quite high. It's for us to determine the terms as to when we say illegal. What do you mean? It's a term that we need to discuss and define,” he said. Mr Quashie explained that some Ghanaian nationals had submitted renewal applications to South African authorities but remained caught in lengthy administrative backlogs. Because you have people from Ghana who have been in this country with work permits for four years, five years down the line. They go to renew it with Home Affairs. I know a lot of them,” he noted. Out of the list, we have about 30 to 40 of them who we have found that they genuinely submitted their documentation for renewal, but the Department of Home Affairs is still working on the process. He added that many Ghanaian migrants contribute to local economic activity through small businesses and employment partnerships with South Africans. “These are people who have small businesses, the salon business, the mechanic businesses, and others,” he said. “So it's a close mix of people who are here, genuinely trying to make ends meet. And for your information, these are people who also work with South Africans. So we see that there should be a balance when it comes to these things.” The repatriation exercise has reignited conversations about migration pressures within Africa, economic opportunities on the continent and the growing challenges faced by migrant communities in host countries amid rising unemployment and social tensions