The government of Ghana is being urged by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to stop the reported forced repatriation of Burkinabe nationals who have sought asylum in Ghana.
The UN refugee agency raised worry in a statement in response to news that hundreds of Burkinabe citizens, mostly women and children, were being deported from Ghana's north.
But, this has been debunked by Ghanaian authorities through the Ministry of National Security.
The Ministry disputes these assertions and wants to make clear that Ghana is dedicated to resettling Burkinabe nationals who have been displaced into its Upper East and Upper West areas as a result of the ongoing security situation in southern Burkina Faso.
However, the UNHCR claimed in a statement released on July 12 that the Ghanaian government's actions "amount to a violation of the non-refoulement principle" and "ensure entry to the territory and refuge to nationals of Burkina Faso seeking international protection."
A fundamental principle of international law known as non-refoulement forbids returning a refugee or asylum seeker to nations where his life or freedom would be in danger.
In order to support efforts to guarantee the protection of more than 8,000 Burkinabe nationals who sought protection as a result of the ongoing war in Burkina Faso, the UNHCR claims it has been working with the Government of Ghana.
A reception center with a capacity of 4,000 people has been opened in the Upper East Region as part of this partnership to move Burkinabe refugees away from the border for security reasons. It is jointly operated by the Ghana Refugee Board and UNHCR.
UNHCR acknowledges that Ghana has a long record of honouring its international duties towards refugees and is prepared to assist the government in meeting the needs of citizens of Burkina Faso who are fleeing the current conflict.
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