Deputy Interior Minister, James Agalga, Presents passport with residence permit to a Liberian refugee
ACCRA, Ghana, July 3 (UNHCR) – – Oftentimes, it is the helplessness of refugees and asylum seekers that get highlighted. On World Refugee Day each year, UNHCR and partners take the opportunity to celebrate the courage and resilience of millions of women, men and children forced to flee as a result of war or persecution.
The day, commemorated on 20
th June every year serves to bring a human face to the numbers, and to raise awareness, compassion and understanding about fellow individuals and families whose lives are torn apart because of war, insecurity or human rights abuses. The theme for this year is “One family torn apart by war is too many”. This year’s celebration also focused on telling the refugee story. Through the individual testimonials of refugees, we can highlight the universal emotions each of us would share if faced with the prospect of losing everything, starting from scratch, or safeguarding our family from violence.
In her speech, UNHCR Representative to Ghana, Ms. Chansa Kapaya observed that Ghana has lived up to her international obligations and has been a generous asylum country since the early 1990s when the country first witnessed a huge influx of over 40,000 Liberian refugees. She commended the generosity of host countries, such as Ghana as well as the support given by the international community for providing refuge to many people in need of asylum.
Ms.Kapaya noted thatUNHCR together with other sister UN agencies and partners have not only been working to deliver protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees and asylum seekers in Ghana; “We have been actively pursuing durable solutions that will allow refugees to rebuild their lives in dignity. By promoting self-reliance and empowerment, through skills training and business support services, improving access to education and health services we hope to encourage the individual’s confidence, self- esteem and dignity as people start to take charge of their own lives again” she added.
The occasion was also used to celebrate the attainment of durable and lasting solutions for Liberian refugees in Ghana who opted for local integration following the invocation of the cessation clause for Liberian refugees in 2012. FiveLiberian families comprising of 20 individuals who form part of some 3,800 Liberians who had opted to locally integrate in Ghana were presented with their Liberian passports affixed with two-year residence permits for Ghana. This is only part of their local integration package which included a cash grant and a one-year National Health Insurance premium. Ms.Kapaya announced that similar initiatives are being pursued for Togolese refugees in Ghana.
In his address, Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr. James Agalga, who presented the Liberian passport to the Liberian refugees, noted that government in demonstration of her goodwill had approved a local integration policy for refugees under which some 4,000 Liberian refugees are being granted stay in Ghana. Mr. Agalga appealed to refugees and asylum seekers to reciprocate Ghana’s kind gesture by being law abiding and focusing on taking advantage of the diverse opportunities in Ghana as a means of developing their personal lives. “It is important to emphasize the need for refugees to match the rights they enjoy with the obligations imposed on them by the laws of Ghana” he reiterated.
On her part, Ms. Susan Ngongi the Acting UN Resident Coordinator hhighlighted the significance of the political will and leadership of the Government of Ghana in recognizing the plight of uprooted people. She congratulated the people of Ghana for being hospitable in receiving asylum seekers and living with refugees in the communities. “Ghana provides one of the good examples on the African continent of a state that has taken concrete steps to live up to its international legal obligations in terms of human rights and refugee protection” she noted.
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