A discussion on the Burkinabe asylum seeker situation in Ghana has been convened by the UNHCR and the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) to assess the changing scenario.
At a high-level consultative session in Accra, regional ministers Stephen Yakubu and Hafiz Bin Salih provided updates on the humanitarian situation.
According to them, as a result of their gradual and voluntarily returning home, the number of Burkinabes who fled their nation in search of refuge in Ghana has allegedly decreased from more than 4000 to 1000.
Some of them have been living in villages in Ghana's Upper East and Upper West since being displaced by military coups and terrorist strikes in their native countries.
On the situation in the Upper East, Dr. Salih stated that on December 5 of last year, the Chetu community in the Lambussie and Sissala West districts welcomed 3148 displaced individuals, including 222 Ghanaians who had emigrated to Burkina Faso.
Even though the majority of the asylum seekers have left, the situation has returned to relative quiet. Dr. Salih stated there are still worries in the Sissala area due to the strain on social services and the worry that terrorist organizations may infiltrate the region's borders.
If the situation in Burkina Faso worsens, he said, "there is a chance that individuals of concern will return."
Dr. Yakubu claimed that although 6,620 Burkinabes were living in the Upper East, 1,064 have now gone due to emigration.
He urged the GRB to recognise them as refugees so they could receive greater assistance from Ghana.
Ambrose Dery, the interior minister, stated that the GRB had registered roughly 1000 asylum seekers in a speech that was delivered on his behalf by Adelaide Annor-Kumi, the chief director of the ministry.
He encouraged the Refugee Board and UNHCR to make sure that the Burkinabes receive the proper assistance to improve the circumstances of their Ghanaian hosts and preserve peace between the two peoples.
He encouraged all parties involved to take precautions to prevent radicals from infiltrating the asylum system and endangering national security.
Prof. Ken Attafuah, the Board Chairman of the GRB, urged for collaboration on the situation between national and international authorities a harmony between Ghana's sovereign interests and the fundamental human rights of the displaced people.
There is a chance that more individuals will apply for asylum in Ghana as the situation in Burkina Faso, where there are around 1.8 million internally displaced people, worsens, according to Esther Kiragu, the UNHCR's country representative.
She praised Ghana for its generosity and emphasised that greater kindness will be required because of local laws and international agreements that require receiving refugees.
The UN would help efforts to handle the humanitarian crisis, according to Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator.
The participants would create a backup plan to deal with the crisis, with organisations including the National Disaster Management Organization, Social Welfare, and Security Agencies in attendance.
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