The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repatriated 4,972 Ghanaians from distress situations across the world since 2025, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has disclosed.

According to the Minister, the repatriations form part of ongoing interventions by the government, Ghana’s diplomatic missions and international partners to assist citizens stranded or facing difficult circumstances abroad.

Mr Ablakwa said the figure covers Ghanaians repatriated from 10 countries.

"This figure is an accumulation of the following: 3,807 from Libya, 440 from Côte d'Ivoire, 246 from Nigeria, 244 from Cambodia, 201 from Algeria, 18 from Kuwait, 8 from Sierra Leone, 5 from Mauritius, 2 from Morocco and 1 from Iraq," he said during a press briefing on Monday, September 9.

Mr Ablakwa said the recurring evacuation and repatriation exercises had placed a significant financial and logistical burden on the state because many of the situations requiring intervention were unexpected.

He explained that the circumstances have made it necessary for Ghana to establish a dedicated emergency funding mechanism to respond more quickly to crises involving its citizens abroad.

“It is precisely why it has become imperative to establish the Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund,” he said.

According to him, the fund will provide a dedicated and sustainable source of emergency financing to enable government to mobilise resources promptly whenever Ghanaians are in distress.

The proposed fund, he said, will help the government safeguard the rights, dignity and welfare of Ghanaian citizens wherever they may find themselves.

He also renewed government’s warning to Ghanaians, particularly the youth, to be cautious of illegal recruitment agencies and human trafficking networks that lure people abroad with promises of better opportunities.

The Minister said such schemes had contributed to some Ghanaians ending up in dangerous situations, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He disclosed that 62 Ghanaians have lost their lives in the conflict, while another 15 remain missing.

Two other Ghanaians, he added, are currently being held by Ukrainian authorities as prisoners of war, although negotiations for their release are progressing positively.

Mr Ablakwa said government had intensified efforts to clamp down on criminal networks involved in illegal recruitment and trafficking.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting Ghanaians abroad and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue to take timely and decisive action whenever the safety and security of Ghanaian nationals are at risk.