Indirect Integration for Liberian Refugees Begins in Ghana

Remnants of Liberian refugees at the Liberian Refugee Camp in Buduburam who are reluctant to be repatriated to Liberia and were unfortunate to be resettled to either the USA, Europe or Australia, as a third country of asylum, could soon experience an indirect local integration despite their persistent unwillingness to do so.

Though Liberian Refugees who had inhabited the Buduburam refugee Camp since 1990 due to the 14 years of brutal civil unrest in their country have expressed their reluctance to the condition of local integration, it seems that might be the only durable solution for them. The UNHCR said such is one of the three durable solutions considering the fact that the option of resettling refugees into a third country of asylum is exhausted while an estimated numbers of 15 thousand Refugees are still unwilling to be repatriated for personal insecurity reasons amongst others.

At a brief and an unannounced handover ceremony held by the UNHCR Country Representative, Ms Aida Haile Mariam, some major facilities built and run by the UNHCR for refugee purposes at the Settlement and areas adjacent in the tune of about $1.6 million (USD) were turned over to Government establishments on the 3rd of May, 2009. Those at the ceremony included the Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board, the Chiefs and Traditional leaders of Gomoa Buduburam Village, prominent dignitaries of the Government of Ghana such as until recent, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, and numerous media institutions in the Country including Religious Leaders .

Other facilities turned over included the refurbished 21 beds capacity refugee hospital and its related facilities, a brand new fire engine to the National Fire Service branch at the Settlement, a brand new Toyota 4×4 pickup to the Budububuram Police for patrol within the District, an ambulance to a so-called orphanage that supports refugee children and some school buildings in operations as well as newly constructed story building for school for the indigenous children/students adjacent the camp.

The unseated and prompt ceremony also was categorized by a sod cutting for the construction of an estimated $900.000(USD) quarter at the entrance of the settlement to house personnels of the police, fire service, health and education when posted at the district from the Government which at the moment, foundational work has began.

Consequentially, with the massive influx of non-refugees mostly Ghanaian residents at the Settlement, the original and recognized status of the settlement as a refugee base is gradually loosing to a community status because most UNHCR built and operating facilities are now equally accessible to all residents irrespective of one’s status. Notwithstanding, there have been no reports of major or selective misunderstanding between the refugee populace and their new fast growing Ghanaian community at the camp.

Refugees are being encouraged to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme just as every other Ghanaian at the St. Gregory Catholic Clinic at the camp has been registering. The interesting thing is that the clinic has recently been introduced to prominence though it has been in existence in the Country for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, the verification and profiling exercise of the remnant of Liberians at the Settlement which began on the 3rd of May 2009, is ongoing.

However, an insider revealed that the Ethiopian nationale Representative who has a Ghanaian husband, is bidding farewell since her tenure of service is over having spent more the three years at post.