The Ghana Refugee Board has disclosed that the majority of residents at the Buduburam camp are not refugees, leading to its reclassification away from being a refugee camp.
This clarification follows a demolition exercise on February 27, 2024, which left approximately 600 people, including Liberians and Ghanaians, homeless.
In an interview, the Executive Secretary, Tetteh Padie, revealed that out of the reported victims, only 268 were refugees.
“Buduburam is no longer a refugee camp. We have several people living there who are not refugees. In fact, most of the people living there are not refugees, including the Liberians.
“Since the demolition, we’ve done some head counts and so far 268 persons who are refugees have come forward as having been affected,” he stated.
Mr Padie explained that these individuals are their responsibility, and plans are in place to relocate them to other refugee camps.
“For these people who have opted to go to the refugee camp, we will provide free transportation. We will provide some amount of money for them to start, this will be provided by the UNHCR, they are our partners,” he explained.
The demolition, initially scheduled for 2021 but postponed due to residents’ pleas for more time, was prompted by concerns from local chiefs about increasing social issues and the camp becoming a haven for suspected criminals.
Gomoa East DCE, Solomon Quarm emphasized that the camp had exceeded its usefulness, and the chiefs’ call was a positive step.
However, nearly two months after the exercise, some victims have expressed feelings of abandonment and uncertainty about their future.
“We have two refugee camps in the Western Region, in the Ellembelle district and we are moving them into one of these camps. Out of the 268 people who have come forward, 231 have opted to go to Ampain.
“So for these people who have opted to go to the refugee camp, we will provide free transportation. We will provide some amount of money for them to start, this will be provided by the UNHCR, they are our partners,” he explained.