On Wednesday, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) expressed its concern regarding reports from Ghana. The reports stated that hundreds of Burkinabé refugees, who were seeking refuge from an insurgency in neighboring Burkina Faso, were being forcibly expelled.
Over the past decade, Burkina Faso, along with other West African countries, has been grappling with armed groups that have established a presence in northern Mali and extended their control across the region. These groups have caused the loss of thousands of lives and have displaced over six million individuals..
Reports indicate that a staggering number of over 2 million individuals have been compelled to abandon their homes within Burkina Faso alone. The root cause of this mass displacement stems from mounting concerns surrounding the deteriorating security situation, which even led to two military coups last year.
Among those affected, a significant portion consists of women and children who have sought shelter in northern Ghana. It is worth noting that the insurgency has also inflicted its impact on this region in recent times.
A video that surfaced on Twitter depicted a distressing scene, featuring numerous women seated on the ground in a parking lot, clutching their children, while surrounded by buses.
“The repatriation of Fulbes from Burkina Faso is continuing today in several northern Ghana communities,” a user wrote, describing it as a “dangerous development”.
Although the video appears to have been recorded in Ghana, AfrikPage has not been able to independently verify its authenticity or confirm that it was a deportation.
UNHCR yesterday called on Ghana to guarantee access to its territory and asylum to Burkinabe fleeing the violence, and to halt reported deportations.
The agency further stated its collaborative efforts with Ghanaian authorities to safeguard the well-being of over 8,000 Burkinabé nationals. To facilitate this, a reception center has been established in the Upper East region, capable of accommodating up to 4,000 refugees.
For now, there is no reaction from the Ghanaian government on the matter.
