Foreign Affairs Minister nominee Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has pledged to establish a Consular Fund to support Ghanaians in distress abroad, particularly those affected by the United States’ mass deportation exercise.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee today, Ablakwa expressed concern over the lack of financial provisions for consular assistance, revealing that foreign service staff often use their own money to help distressed citizens.

"As ranking member, I advocated strongly for the establishment of a Consular Fund. I was shocked to learn that our hardworking foreign service staff have to sometimes contribute their own money to assist distressed Ghanaians out there who need consular assistance," he stated.

He emphasized the need for a dedicated budget line for consular services, in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963. "In the budget for the foreign service, we don't have a line item for consular relations. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, countries must extend these courtesies to their citizens. As Foreign Minister, when given the nod, I will make sure that we establish the Consular Fund."

Ablakwa stressed the urgency of the initiative, particularly in light of recent deportations by the US. "We must make sure that this fund exists and can be accessed by our foreign service staff to extend assistance, particularly in this period where the United States has announced mass deportation. Those who may be rounded up to be deported are entitled to consular support. We must get them legal assistance so that they are not just rounded up and their rights violated."

He also condemned the reported inhumane treatment of some deportees. "Even in the deportation, how they were deported, sometimes chained to seats and all that, treated as criminals. That is a violation of their human rights. These are matters I will pursue forcefully," he added.

The nominee further criticized the inefficiencies in Ghana’s diplomatic missions, questioning their role in assisting citizens abroad. “Why do we establish embassies if we cannot use them to help our own people? It is unacceptable that Ghanaians in distress struggle to get the necessary support from our missions,” he remarked.

Ablakwa assured the committee that, if approved as Minister for Foreign Affairs, he would prioritize making Ghana’s embassies more responsive and citizen-centred. “We must not allow our embassies to merely exist as symbolic institutions. They must function as true extensions of the Ghanaian government, ready to serve and protect our people wherever they are,” he concluded.

His comments come at a time when the US government, under President Donald Trump, has intensified immigration crackdowns, leading to the detention and deportation of thousands of undocumented immigrants, including Ghanaians. Reports indicate that the US has launched its largest deportation operation, targeting individuals who had previously been shielded under immigration policies from the Biden administration.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly arrested nearly 1,200 people in a single day, with almost half of them having no criminal records. The administration has also announced plans to establish a large facility at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba to house deported migrants.

Ablakwa’s commitment to setting up a Consular Fund reflects Ghana’s growing concern over the plight of its citizens abroad and the need for stronger diplomatic support in the face of global migration challenges.