The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Monday undertook an early morning inspection tour of more than 20 embassies and visa application centres in Accra to assess the conditions under which Ghanaians seeking visas are served.
The working visit, conducted on October 5, 2026, formed part of the minister’s efforts to evaluate the welfare and experiences of visa applicants and engage them directly on challenges they encounter during the application process.
Accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ablakwa interacted with applicants at various centres to gain first-hand insight into issues relating to access to services, waiting times and overall treatment.
Speaking to journalists after the tour, the minister recalled that shortly after assuming office he had stressed the need for diplomatic missions operating in Ghana to protect the dignity and welfare of Ghanaian visa applicants.
He noted that concerns had previously been raised about long waiting periods for visa appointments and inadequate facilities that left applicants exposed to harsh weather conditions.
Mr Ablakwa acknowledged that some diplomatic missions had made significant improvements in addressing these concerns.
However, he indicated that further efforts were required by others to ensure that the welfare and dignity of Ghanaian citizens remained a priority throughout the visa application process.
While recognising the authority of embassies to determine who qualifies for visas, the minister emphasised that his concern was not with visa decisions but with the treatment applicants receive.
“It is the prerogative of the diplomatic missions to determine who qualifies for their visas,” he said, adding that his responsibility was to ensure that the dignity of Ghanaians is respected.
The minister said applicants were eager to share their experiences and concerns during the interactions, and assured them that their views and observations would be communicated to the relevant diplomatic missions.
As part of follow-up measures, Mr Ablakwa disclosed plans to engage heads of diplomatic missions in the coming days to discuss findings from the inspection and explore practical ways of improving their operations.
According to him, the objective is to foster collaboration between the government and diplomatic missions to ensure higher standards of service delivery and greater respect for Ghanaian citizens.
He described the visit as the beginning of a broader effort to reform aspects of the visa application experience and create a system that reflects the pride and dignity of Ghana.
The Foreign Affairs Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of Ghanaians and urged diplomatic missions to continuously uphold professionalism, efficiency and respect in the delivery of consular services.