The government is set to launch a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund to provide emergency financial support for citizens who find themselves in distress outside the country.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, September 7, 2026, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the fund will create a dedicated and sustainable financing mechanism for the government to respond more quickly to emergencies involving Ghanaians abroad.
The move comes amid increasing demands on the state to finance the evacuation and repatriation of citizens stranded or facing difficult circumstances in foreign countries.
According to the minister, thousands of Ghanaians have been repatriated from various countries since 2025 through interventions involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghanaian diplomatic missions, and international partners.
He said the repeated repatriation exercises have placed a significant financial and logistical burden on the government, highlighting the need for a more structured funding arrangement.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, the fund would enable the government to mobilize resources to safeguard the rights, dignity, and welfare of Ghanaians who encounter emergencies abroad.
Nearly 5,000 Ghanaians brought home
Ablakwa said the 4,972 repatriations since 2025 involved citizens returning from at least 10 countries.
Libya accounted for the largest number, with 3,807 Ghanaians repatriated.
A further 440 Ghanaians were brought back from Côte d’Ivoire, including victims of QNET-related activities and demolition exercises, while 246 were repatriated from Nigeria, also in connection with QNET-related cases.
The ministry also facilitated the return of 244 Ghanaians from Cambodia and 201 from Algeria.
The remaining repatriations involved 18 Ghanaians from Kuwait, eight from Sierra Leone, five from Mauritius, two from Morocco, and one from Iraq.
The figures, the Minister said, reflect the broader consular interventions being undertaken by the government beyond the recent evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
