300 Liberian refugees return home

Tema, July 27, GNA -- Three hundred Liberian refugees left the shores of Ghana on board MV 'Brenda Corlett", a Gambian vessel at the Tema Port in a voluntary repatriation programme on Thursday after four to sixteen years exile, due to war in their country,.

The first voluntary repatriation exercise brings the number of persons repatriated with the assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from Ghana to 3,800 since its beginning in 2004.

The 300 refugees, including children, women, men and the aged started boarding the vessel at 1230 hours with all their belongings acquired in Ghana to start a new life back home. The four-day voyage to Monrovia was aimed at assisting the refugees to repatriate in safety and with dignity to their 150-year old country after its return to civilian rule.

At a press briefing before the boarding, Madam Aida Haile Mariam, Representative of UNHCR said her outfit used to do facilitated repatriation where the Commission approached the refugees to return home.

She added that, the Commission was now involved in promotional repatriation during which the refugees approach them willingly to return home and they in turn educate them on the opportunities and challenges awaiting them at home, stating that she hoped a lot of those left behind would voluntarily return home by the end of 2007. Madam Mariam noted that, after this first sea movement in this year, the repatriation operation would continue with a combination of safe sea and air transportation from Ghana to Liberia, saying "the air movements are specifically for refugees with special needs such as pregnancy and disability".

On the security issues on the vessel, Mr Aboagye Tandoh, UNHCR Field Safety Advisor pointed out that, the vessel had 432 life jackets and other life saving gadgets as well as two police escorts. Mr. Tandoh said three meals would be provided for the refugees in the morning, afternoon and evening, adding that, nutritionists were involved in the choosing of the foods.

He said hygienically, extra sanitary and shower facilities have been installed in the vessel as well as the provision of three hundred mattresses to cater for all the refugees on board.

Some of the refugees waving farewell to Ghana amidst smiles as they board the vessel expressed their joy of returning home after staying in exile for a long time.

The young ones, especially those born in Ghana even though sound happy to return to their country, do not know what was ahead of them as according to some of them, all they know about their nation was the tales from their parents and the media.