Government reviews job opportunities for Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa

Story by: Regina Bless

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that some job opportunities identified for Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa were found to be unsuitable for their skills and experience.

Coordinating Director for Political and Economic Affairs at the Ministry, Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman, said the assessment of the returnees showed that some of the jobs initially offered did not match their qualifications and competencies.

He mentioned opportunities that had been identified at AirtelTigo and Engineers and Planners, but explained that some returnees could not be appropriately matched to those positions.

Ambassador Agyeman made the disclosure at the launch of DW’s Under the Baobab in Accra, organised in collaboration with Channel One TV, on the theme “Beyond the Welcome: Migration, Xenophobia and Belonging to Africa.”

He said the government’s commitment to helping the returnees secure suitable livelihoods remains unchanged, but acknowledged that not everyone may be placed in formal employment.

According to him, government institutions are therefore developing different forms of support based on the skills and circumstances of the returnees.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, for instance, is exploring support for women among the returnees, particularly those involved in artisanal and other forms of work.

Such assistance could include entrepreneurship support and grants to help some beneficiaries establish their own businesses. The government is also exploring private-sector opportunities for those who are qualified for formal employment.

Ambassador Agyeman reiterated that the objective is to ensure that returnees receive opportunities that correspond with their skills, experience and circumstances.

He stressed that the returnees are Ghanaian nationals and that government remains committed to working with them to complete the support process as urgently as possible.