The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in Ghana, has encouraged citizens to respect and protect the rights of refugees in the country.
Speaking at a workshop organised for the media in Accra, Assistant Protection Officer at UNHCR, Edmund Quartey, expressed hope that the workshop would help the media give vivid and unbiased reportage about refugees.
He explained that although refugees are experiencing the warmth and peace in the country, they are faced with challenges.
“Ghana is a country where refugees are able to seek asylum and enjoy most of their rights. Having said that, refugees in Ghana also face challenges. The principal issue has to do with accommodation. And it also a resource issue. We (UNHCR) do not have the resources to rent accommodation for every refugee who wants to live in Accra.”
Review refugee law
Mr. Quartey further called for a review of the Ghana refugee law to align it with current international standards.
According to him, “The law is as old as 1992, so it will be important to bring it in line with international standards relating to refugees.”
In an interview with Citi News, the Project Director at the Ghana Refugees Board, Tetteh Padi, also reiterated the need to treat refugees with dignity .
“It is certainly important that, we continue to educate the public. Anybody could be a refugee. We have people here as refugees who were in very responsible positions in their country. A lot of people think refugees are people who can’t do anything for themselves and must necessarily be assisted. But that is not the case.”
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By: Zoe Abu-Baidoo/citifmonline.com/Ghana