Interior ministry denies expulsion of Burkinabe asylum seekers

The Ministry of the Interior has denied recent reports of the expulsion of Burkina Faso nationals and asylum seekers from the country.

According to the ministry, Ghana would not renege on its responsibil­ities of protecting and caring for the vulnerable in the society, including refugees.

“Without prejudice to the security challenges in the sub-region in­volving other stakeholders, we shall continue to honour our obligations counting on adequate support from our partners/UN system,” the min­istry said in a statement issued in Accra yesterday.

Currently, it stated that Ghana was actively working with all international partners in­cluding the UNHCR, a UN refugee agency to provide safe and secured shelter for persons fleeing the armed attacks ongoing in Burkina Faso.

The statement said the Ghana Refugee Board had so far registered more than 3,200 Burkinabe asy­lum seekers with registration still underway.

With the assistance of UNHCR, it noted that the Ghana Refugee Board had set up a reception centre at Tari­kom in the Bawku West District to relocate asylum seekers from border areas to the new reception centre.

In this regard, the statement said more than 500 Burkinabe asylum seekers have been relocated.

In addition, the Ghana Refugee Board in a statement added that there had been an allocated land that was being developed into a temporary settlement for Burkinabe asylum seekers.

The statement emphasised Burki­na Faso nationals continue to enter Ghana, adding that the country would continue to guarantee those who seek asylum, international pro­tection, ensuring all their rights as asylum seekers were upheld.

“The Ghana Refugee Board with critical support from UNHCR will continue to provide needed in­terventions for all asylum seekers and refugees until the time a durable solution to their refugee situation is found,” it noted.

When calm returns to their home country, the statement said the asylum seekers would be assisted by Ghana and the UNHCR to return home in safety and in dignity as was done recently for Ivorian refugees.

Recalling Ghana’s role in the protection of refugees, it added that Ghana currently hosts refugees and asylum seekers from about 35 different countries, who were re­ceived and registered by the Ghana Refugee Board on a daily basis.

The statement said since 1960, Ghana had hosted refugees from all over the world as a signatory to the UN 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and the OAU 1969 Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa.

“We have welcomed and provided protection for persons fleeing perse­cution and generalised violence, and we continue to do so,” the statement added.

On July 13, the UNHCR was reported to have said that Ghana had forcibly deported hundreds of people fleeing violence from Burki­na Faso.

The UNHCR alleged that approx­imately 251 people were expelled, most of them women and children seeking safety in northern Ghana.

In a statement, the UN called on Ghana to cease the expulsions “and guarantee access to the territory and asylum to nationals of Burkina Faso seeking international protection.”