UNHCR and UNICEF visit Burkinabe migrants

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) have visited Banu and Pido to interact with Burkinabe migrants who fled terrorist attacks to settle in the Ghanaian communities.

They were joined by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the Sissala East Municipality. The visit was to enable the team to assess the situation on the ground about the illegal migrants.

The UNHCR and UNICEF officials who did not want to be named told the GNA that they went to Banu, Pido and Kwapun but could not visit Wuru due to floods that affected the untarred roads rendering them unmotorable.

The Municipal Director of NADMO, Mr Issah Issahaku Gbanha said after a joint visit with GIS to the area, they have now agreed on the number of illegal migrants to stand at 1,677 migrants.

With regards to their status as to whether the people were refugees or not, Ghanha said that after the team submitted its report, a decision would be taken.

He said security was beefed up in the area as military, immigration and police personnel patrolled the area more often.

The GNA broke the story of some Burkinabe nationals of Moshie descent on 18 May 2019, where illegal migrants allegedly said they were coming to do farming in the Sissala area.

Others indicated they were fleeing terrorist attacks and unrest around the northern part of Burkina Faso, where jihadist were reportedly attacking civilians.