Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Jinapor, has called for Ghana to develop a formal evacuation policy for citizens in distress abroad, saying recent events involving Ghanaians in South Africa underscore the urgent need for a dedicated national framework to protect and evacuate nationals caught in crises overseas.

According to him, Ghana has reached a point where it can no longer rely on ad hoc responses to emergencies involving its citizens abroad and must instead establish a structured evacuation architecture backed by policy, legislation and a dedicated state institution.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, July 2, the Damongo MP said the country’s response to the plight of Ghanaians in South Africa should trigger a broader national conversation about how Ghana supports citizens facing danger outside its borders.

“I think Ghana is getting to the point where we should have an evacuation policy. We should have an evacuation architecture, policy or legislation, and perhaps even a dedicated outfit in our country that is solely responsible for evacuations when our citizens abroad are in distress and in need,” he said.

His comments come amid growing concern over the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa, following the killing of a Ghanaian national in Cape Town.

Mr Jinapor noted that a significant number of Ghanaians remain in South Africa and may require support, relief or possible evacuation depending on how the situation unfolds.

He argued that Ghana’s history of responding to crises abroad demonstrates both the need and the capacity for a more permanent evacuation mechanism.

“Ghana has a very cherished reputation of evacuation. We did it under President Rawlings during the Liberia-Sierra Leone war. We did it under President Akufo-Addo during Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war with a lot of efficiency and excellence,” he said.

He said the time had come for the country to move beyond emergency improvisation and create a permanent framework, whether under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior or another designated institution.

“We should have a national debate on it and take it up and build an evacuation policy for our country,” he stressed.

Mr Jinapor disclosed that the Minority intends to push the issue at the committee level in Parliament and engage the Foreign Affairs Ministry and other relevant stakeholders to advance the proposal.

“We will raise the issue at the committee level. We intend to write to the Foreign Minister and the relevant stakeholders to call for this evacuation policy, where we will have a dedicated outfit in our country that is responsible for evacuations when our citizens abroad are in distress and are in need, and perhaps even legislate on it,” he said.