The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has put a temporary hold on registrations for its voluntary evacuation programme after receiving more than 1,500 applications from Ghanaians living in the country.

In a statement released on June 1, the mission explained that the suspension, which takes effect on June 2, is necessary to allow officials to process and verify the growing number of submissions already received under the exercise.

The High Commission indicated that the response to the programme has been significant, with over 1,500 registrations recorded so far. Authorities are now focused on screening and assessing applications in collaboration with the relevant Home Affairs institutions.

“The temporary suspension is to enable the High Commission and the Home Affairs process to screen the large number of applications already received,” the mission said.

Despite the suspension, the High Commission emphasised that the evacuation initiative remains active and has not been concluded. The mission noted that the temporary pause is purely administrative and intended to ensure the exercise is conducted in an orderly and transparent manner.

Ghanaians who have not yet registered have been encouraged to remain patient, as another registration phase will be announced after the current applications have been reviewed.

“The date of the next phase for the new registration will be communicated in due course,” the statement said, adding that “the repatriation exercise has not yet ended.”

The mission further expressed gratitude to the Ghanaian community in South Africa for their understanding and cooperation during the exercise. It described the support shown by applicants as important to the successful implementation of the programme.

The latest development reflects efforts by Ghanaian authorities to effectively manage the repatriation process while ensuring that all applications are properly vetted before additional registrations are accepted.