The Ministry of National Security has refuted media reports which indicate that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is forcefully repatriating Burkinabe refugees from Ghana.
The Ministry indicated that contrary to those claims, the repatriation process is consistent with international protocols on the management of refugees and has so far been implemented in collaboration with Burkinabe Immigration Authorities along the Ghana-Burkina Faso border.
According to the Ministry, Ghana is dedicated to accommodating Burkinabe nationals who have been displaced into the Upper East and Upper West regions due to the dominant security situation in the southern part of that country.
The Ministry in a press release on Thursday said it collaborated with the Ghana Refugees Board and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to establish a provisional reception center in the Upper East Region, capable of holding an estimated 2,100 displaced people from Burkina Faso.
“Currently, Ghana is accommodating 530 Burkinabe’s who are displaced and being accommodated at the reception center. Additionally, Ghanaian official entities ensure that the 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,” it added.
It reaffirms Ghana’s determination to safeguarding the peace, stability and territorial integrity of the country.
Dzifa Hukporti, ISD
