Ablakwa urges Africans not to view immigrants as threat to national progress

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged African nations to view immigrants as contributors to national development rather than threats to economic progress. During an interview on TV3 on October 10, 2026, Mr Ablakwa commented on renewed tensions in South Africa following a court decision on asylum seekers' rights.

He stressed that instead of being a detriment, immigrants should be seen as assets. "We should not see immigrants and people who travel using our free movement protocols as people who are detrimental to our national progress. They are not parasites," he stated. Mr Ablakwa argued that countries could establish regulated migration systems without infringing upon the rights of travelers.

"We can have an arrangement where we have regulated migration, where the free movement protocols are respected, where the rights of all persons are not violated just because they are travellers," he added. The Foreign Affairs Minister expressed confidence in Africa's integration agenda, reaffirming his belief in African unity, inspired by the vision of Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Despite overcoming colonialism, imperialism, and political subjugation, he emphasized the need to intensify efforts against poverty and economic underdevelopment.