The government is set to establish a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund to provide emergency assistance to Ghanaians who find themselves in distress or crisis situations abroad.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the initiative at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026, following the conclusion of Ghana’s evacuation exercise in South Africa.

The fund is expected to provide dedicated and sustainable financing for emergency evacuations, repatriations and other consular interventions involving Ghanaian nationals outside the country.

Mr Ablakwa said the initiative would enable the government to mobilise resources quickly to protect the lives, rights and welfare of citizens facing emergencies abroad.

The announcement follows the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa between May 27 and September 4, 2026, amid renewed xenophobic attacks and intimidation against foreign nationals.

The exercise cost GH¢49.72 million, of which the government provided GH¢33.72 million, while Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, contributed GH¢16 million.

According to the minister, the evacuation was not anticipated and had not been provided for in the national budget, highlighting the need for a dedicated funding mechanism to respond to unforeseen emergencies involving Ghanaians abroad.

Mr Ablakwa said the fund would also address the financial and logistical demands associated with previous repatriation exercises undertaken by the government and its diplomatic missions.

He disclosed that 4,972 Ghanaians had been repatriated from various countries between 2025 and September 2026 through interventions by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ghana’s diplomatic missions and international partners.

The returnees included 3,807 Ghanaians from Libya, 440 from Côte d’Ivoire, 246 from Nigeria, 244 from Cambodia and 201 from Algeria. Others were repatriated from Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Morocco and Iraq.

The minister said the proposed fund would complement the work of Ghana’s diplomatic missions by providing a more structured way to finance emergency assistance for citizens in difficult circumstances overseas.

He also cautioned Ghanaians, particularly the youth, against illegal recruitment agencies and human trafficking networks that promise opportunities abroad but could expose them to dangerous situations.

The ministry is expected to provide further details on the fund’s structure and operational arrangements in due course.

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