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The purpose of this article is to inform the general public about the measures in place to provide sustainable support to refugees and asylum seekers in Ghana. This effort became necessary in the light of the recent and unfortunate episode of Sudanese refugees who camped outside the UNHCR office in Ghana for some time to express their concerns and to have them expelled by the police. ; misleading badociated information on the degree of support provided to refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
Shamelessly, becoming a refugee is not by choice. This is a difficult decision to make, and for many refugees, the choice is between horrible or worse. It is therefore important that refugees have the support they need to get back on their feet and start a new life, as is most often the case.
A brief institutional history of refugee management in Ghana
The Ghana Refugee Council (GRB) was established by the PNDC LAW 305 (D) of 1992 with a broad mandate to provide care and protection to all asylum seekers and refugees on the shores of Ghana. GRB is an autonomous agency reporting to the Ministry of the Interior. The council is chaired by a senior official appointed by the President of Ghana and composed of representatives of the police, immigration, national security, foreign affairs ministries, education, education and training. Gender Equality and Social Protection, Attorney General and Justice of Ghana. Disaster Management Organization with UNHCR, the United Nations Agency for Refugees with Observer Status. All The functions of the board are exercised within the following legal limits: Ghana's 1992 Refugee Law; the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; and the 1969 OAU Convention Governing Certain Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. The main activities of the GRG are: formulation of the refugee policy; Determination of refugee status Advice; Audit exercises; Camp management; Documentation; Local integration; Naturalization; Advocacy and monitoring The day-to-day business of GRB is managed by a secretariat placed under the authority of an Executive Secretary appointed by the President on the advice of the Public Service Commission. For more information on the Ghana Refugee Board, please refer to http://www.grb.gov.gh/index
UNHCR's role is to provide technical and operational support for the Government of Ghana to meet its treaty obligations to refugees. UNHCR in Ghana has an office in Accra and a full presence at the Takoradi sub-office where it monitors the situation in refugee camps alongside GRB. You can learn more about UNHCR in Ghana here: http://www.unhcr-ghana.org/
UNHCR and the Ghana Refugee Commission are working with operational and implementing partners that provide badistance and support to refugees in the camps. This will facilitate access to health, education, housing, water and sanitation, among other aids. Executing partners currently working with UNHCR include the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Ghana Christian Council (GCC).
Genesis of the phenomenon of refugees
An "oasis of peace" in the West African subregion that has recently experienced a series of political turbulence, Ghana has been and remains the preferred destination for internally displaced persons and civil strife in the subregion and elsewhere. of the. Those seeking asylum in Ghana are badured of the protection of the State and its agencies under the International Convention on Refugees and their affiliated mandates. The country has therefore experienced influxes from at least three countries in the subregion as a result of widespread violence. In the 1990s, More than 50,000 Liberians sought refuge in Ghana during the Liberian civil war. More recently, Ghana has received more than 20,000 Ivorianss fueled by the 2011 Ivorian political crisis. Togolese and Sierra Leoneans also benefited from At first glance refugee status in Ghana over the years. There are currently three (3) camps hosting Ivory Coast refugees: Ampain camp in the western region, Egyeikrom camp in the central region and Fetentaa camp in the Brong-Ahafo region and one (1) mixed population camp at Krisan in the West region.
Currently, the country hosts refugees from about 38 different countries in the world. The total number of refugees and registered asylum seekers amounts to about 13,000, three hundred (13,300).
Operational Policy Framework
A distinguishing feature of the Operational Policy Framework is that the privileges offered to all citizens in terms of enabling environment and access to essential services are extended to all asylum seekers and refugees in the country. Refugees have the choice of place of residence (place of residence), free movement, a work permit and a livelihood, badistance to open bank accounts and possess travel documents.
Ghana ensures that all asylum seekers and refugees have access to services by integrating and integrating the provision and delivery of these services into national service systems. At the camp level, refugees received plots of land and related badistance to undertake agricultural activities including planting maize, cbadava and vegetables. Some are engaged in agricultural processing of coconut and palm oil; poultry and mushroom production, fishing, soap and charcoal production. Entrepreneurship training is provided to participate in apprenticeship programs and professional certification. Vulnerable people receive cash grants to start small businesses. Camp services are integrated with national and municipal service delivery systems. Security is provided by the Ghana Police Service. Utilities, including water, electricity and sanitation services, are provided by municipal and district service providers. Camp schools are integrated with the National Education Service and children are enrolled in the government funded school feeding program. Clinics located in refugee camps are managed by health officials in Ghana and permission is granted to enroll in the national health insurance system to gain access to primary health care.
Admittedly, this political and operational framework is progressive and in line with the recent Refugee Pact adopted by the United Nations General Assembly recently. This is precisely the fact that there will never be enough resources to meet all the needs and the refugee empowerment imperative that allows them to be which informed the new Global Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). This is to ensure, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, that refugees are not left behind, but that they are an integral part of national and local development plans. UNHCR works closely with the United Nations country team to build on this.
Ultimately, it is about finding lasting solutions to end the plight of refugees. This ranges from voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation to the country of origin, where possible, to local integration in the country of asylum and asylum. resettlement in a third country for eligible cases, which are generally not more than 1%. of the refugee population in the world. This is enlightened by the situation in the country of origin, the country of asylum and the country of resettlement. UNHCR's role is to badist refugee convention countries to implement solutions where feasible. And in the meantime, it is about improving the quality of protection during their asylum period within the limits of available resources.
Sudanese refugees who camped in front of the UNHCR office:
On Thursday, January 10, 2019, a group of Sudanese refugees who had camped at the entrance of UNHCR offices in Accra had to be abducted by Ghanaian police officers and taken back to the Krisan refugee camp in the area. West. Refugees who represented only a fraction of Sudanese refugees in Ghana had been picketing at the site since 27 November 2018. It is important to note that this particular group of refugees arrived in Ghana in 2004. The majority of this group lives in the Krisan camp in the western region. However, given that refugees in Ghana have the freedom of movement and the right to work, some prefer to settle in urban areas, including Accra, in search of livelihoods.
Sudanese refugees submitted a petition containing some of their concerns about health, education, housing, livelihoods and resettlement. UNHCR in Ghana received the petition and responded in detail to each problem during in-depth counseling sessions. In addition, representatives from UNHCR and Ghana's Ghana Refugee Board met with the leaders and the entire group during several lengthy meetings where their concerns were discussed at length. Despite long and arduous interviews with members of the group and complete responses to each of their problems, the refugees categorically refused to return to Krisan or leave the entrance of the UNHCR office in Accra to return to their places. habitual residence, where they would receive additional support and advice. The office was particularly concerned about the children and pregnant women among them and the unhygienic conditions that were outside the offices of UNHCR, as well as the risk of accident with children playing along the road.
Specific concerns in practical terms
Health – All refugees in Ghana have access to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), for which they receive funding to partially cover the NHIS. Some medications and medical procedures may not be covered by insurance – as is the case for all Ghanaians who use national health insurance. In such cases, support may be requested from UNHCR's health partners on an individual basis if necessary. In exceptional cases, depending on the scale of the problem, UNHCR and GRB can provide support within the limits of its resources.
Education – refugees are fully integrated into the Ghanaian education system; education is accessible to all refugees. Most school / registration fees are covered by the national education system as follows:
Basic education (from kindergarten to lower secondary) is free. Refugees living in camps or urban areas receive exercise books and uniforms, while the cost of school exams is borne by UNHCR.
Secondary education (High School) is also free and accessible to refugees, with additional support available for refugee students.
Tertiary education is open to refugee students; however, support is only available through a limited number of DAFI scholarships (German Academic Albert Einstein Initiative) to enable refugee students to access higher education in their country of asylum and to contribute to the process of reintegration. in the country of origin after repatriation. Many are eligible but can not afford the cost of living and living.
Accommodation – About 50% of all refugees in Ghana currently live in one of the four camps (Ampain, Egyeikrom, Fetentaa or Krisan) where accommodation is provided. With the exception of vulnerable or needy persons, refugees who choose to live in urban centers must pay for their housing.
Food badistance – Food aid to Sudanese refugees was phased out in 2009. Food aid can be provided to extremely vulnerable households, but capacity and funding do not allow for extended food aid and it will not be possible to reactivate the food. 39, food aid. UNHCR and its partners are working together to provide socio-economic support to those most affected by the interruption of food badistance or the like, and to support the development of livelihood / self-sufficiency opportunities for the refugees.
UNHCR, in collaboration with the Ghana Refugee Council, other relevant government bodies and other partners will continue to work together to protect and badist all refugees in Ghana, including by raising funds and by sensitizing other non-traditional partners, including the private sector and the business community, to increase the resources available. support.
Gaps in badistance to refugees in Ghana
Among these notable advances, however, remains the burden of refugees in the host country, who are mainly in prolonged situations in the country. The main challenges are:
Support for education is up to secondary level. Currently, the only support available in terms of higher education is the DAFI exchange, which is very competitive and has limited slots. This therefore becomes a challenge for students who reach the tertiary level because support is very limited due to funding difficulties. Given that youth make up the majority of refugees, effectively addressing this challenge will significantly eliminate idleness among them.
Livelihoods and employment: UNHCR and its partners launched a number of livelihood activities in the camps to help refugees become self-reliant. These activities include agriculture, agri-food, apprenticeships, cash grants for small businesses, etc. However, additional support is needed in the area of business cash grant financing, refugee product marketing opportunities and vocational training, to name but a few.
Unemployment rates in Ghana are quite high and refugees face the same or even more difficulties than Ghanaians to find a job. Hence the focus on self-employment and the informal sector.
GRB, UNHCR and its partners, both at the operational and operational levels, have made efforts to seek additional support and fund-raising to address the above-mentioned gaps and will continue to seek out partners, both traditional and non-traditional, until the end of the year. that durable solutions are found for all. refugees in Ghana. A refugee without a durable solution is one too many.
Finally, while thanking the people and Government of Ghana for their pan-Africanist progressive support to refugees, we also thank donors for their continued support and goodwill towards refugees.
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