Security Analyst, Dr. Adam Bonaa, is firmly advocating for the prosecution of refugees apprehended with weapons and ammunition at the Ghana-Burkina Faso border.
In light of the escalating hostility within the West Africa sub-region, he believes that individuals, even if they are refugees, who are suspected to be involved in terrorism, militancy, or armed conflict, should not be exempted from facing legal consequences under any circumstances.
“Some of them could be terrorists or are combatants fleeing from the conflicts they have started in their country. Prosecute those caught and send them back to their home country to serve whatever sentence given them,” Dr Bonaa said.
Following the arrest of refugees disguised as nursing mothers and found in possession of weapons, the National Security has significantly heightened surveillance measures at the country’s border with Burkina Faso.
In response to this concerning incident, Dr. Bonaa emphasized the importance of the State working closely with neighboring countries, particularly those affected by conflicts, to gather comprehensive profiles of these alleged refugees. He further recommended that their fingerprints be taken before repatriating them.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said: “The chances are that some of them will go, disguise themselves and come back again. Others too run into Ghana when the heat is on in their country, go back to stoke the fire when everything seemed to have died out.”
Dr Bonaa said though Ghana was a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the arrested refugees should face the full rigours of the law without any fear that Ghana could be seen in bad light by the international community.
“The international community should respect our sovereignty. As a member of the Commonwealth Nations and UN, we shall not allow anybody to come and destabilise this country,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Defence Minister, Kwaku Amankwah Manu, stated that this recent development has compelled security agencies to strengthen their efforts in screening asylum seekers. He asserted that the government is resolute in not compromising the safety of Ghanaians in favor of protecting the rights of asylum seekers.
“So, we really need to be on the lookout, we have the Ghanaian people to protect, we have properties to protect, we cannot say that because we want to be compassionate, we will not look at the security of our nation,” he said.
Ranking Member on Defence and Interior committee of Parliament, James Agalga, said government had every right to screen the refugees, but must also be mindful of international treaties that protected the rights of the asylum seekers.
“Government clearly has a commitment not to repatriate refugees who are refugees where they may face very serious threats to their lives and fundamental freedoms,” he said.