Ghana government reacts to reports of soldiers driving away Burkinabe refugees

The Ministry of National Security has denied reports that personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces have been deployed to forcibly repatriate Burkinabe refugees from border communities in the northern parts of Ghana.

Contrary to the reports, the ministry says it has with the help of the Ghana Refugee Board and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided temporary facilities to hold the Burkinabe who have been displaced into the Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana due to the prevailing security situation in their country.

In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, the ministry added that so far hundreds of Burkinabes are being housed at the facility, which can hold at least 2,100 people.

“Currently, five hundred and thirty (530) displaced Burkinabes are being accommodated at the reception centre. Additionally, Ghanaian official entities ensure that displaced persons have access to free food and medical care. Also, as part of measures to enhance containment efforts, a 30-acre land has been acquired for the establishment of housing facilities to host displaced persons.

“Contrary to claims that displaced Burkinabes are being forced out of Ghana, a repatriation process has been instituted at the reception centre to aid the movement of Burkinabes who wish to return to their country. The repatriation process is consistent with international protocols on the management of refugees and has so far, been implemented in collaboration with the Burkinabe Immigration Authorities along the Ghana-Burkina Faso border,” parts of the statement read.

The minister added that as it is working to ensure that Ghanaians are safe, it would also ensure that the rights of refugees and displaced persons from Ghana’s neighbours are respected.

The statement by the National Security Ministry comes after the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is reported to have said that it was concerned about reports in Ghana that hundreds of citizens seeking refuge from an insurgency in neighbouring Burkina Faso were being deported.

The agency called on the government of Ghana to grant asylum to Burkinabes fleeing the violence and cease reported expulsions.

The agency added in a statement that it was working with Ghanaian authorities to ensure the protection of over 8,000 Burkinabe nationals, and had set up a reception centre in the bordering Upper East Region with a capacity of 4,000 people.

According to reuters.com, Twitter user Alhaji Gbangbanku shared a video of dozens of women holding their children, sitting on the ground in a parking lot with buses, which it cannot verify.

"The repatriation of Fulbes from Burkina Faso is continuing today in several northern Ghana communities," he wrote, describing it as a "military-led exercise" and a "dangerous development."

BAI/OGB

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