A quiet but emotional scene unfolded at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning as the first group of Ghanaian nationals voluntarily departed South Africa to return home after years of trying to build new lives abroad.
Some carried small bags. Others held children close while waiting to board. For many, the journey back to Ghana marks the end of a chapter that began with hopes of finding work, safety and better opportunities in South Africa.
Instead, several migrants say they have spent recent months living in fear as tensions around illegal immigration continue to rise across the country.
