Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will establish a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund to finance emergency assistance for Ghanaians in distress abroad.
Briefing the media in Accra on the conclusion of the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa, the minister explained that the Fund is intended to provide dedicated and sustainable resources for urgent evacuations, repatriations and other consular interventions involving Ghanaian nationals outside the country.
He said that the Fund would enable the Government to mobilise resources swiftly to safeguard the rights, dignity and welfare of Ghanaians facing emergencies anywhere in the world.
The Ghanaian government evacuated 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa, following a resurgence of xenophobic attacks and intimidation against African nationals.
According to the minister, repatriation of Ghanaians from different parts of the world has placed significant financial and logistical demands on the Government and its diplomatic missions.
He said that the experience had demonstrated the need for a dedicated mechanism to finance emergency interventions without relying solely on ad hoc arrangements.
“Precisely why it has become imperative to establish the Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund,” local media reports quoted the minister as saying
Mr Ablakwa said that 4,972 Ghanaians were repatriated to Ghana between 2025 and September 2026 through interventions by his ministry, diplomatic missions and international partners.
GIK/APA