Liberian Refugees In Ghana Return Home After 34 Years Of Fleeing Conflict
- Liberian refugees in Ghana are being repatriated to the country after 34 years of living at the Budumburam camp in the Central region
- About 4.3000 of the refugees are expected to be sent back home starting this month following the demolishing of the Budumburam camp in 2023
- The first batch of 770 refugees have been repatriated to Liberian to begin a new life in their own country
Liberians in Ghana are being repatriated home to their beloved country after 34 years of living in a refugee camp at Buduburam in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.
Following the civil war in Liberia which spanned the period between 1985 to 1997, some citizens of the country fled to settle at a refugee camp in Ghana in 1990.
Source: TikTok
After many long years of efforts to restore peace in Liberia, citizens of the country who became refugees in Ghana are now being sent back home.
About 4,300 Liberians at the Buduburam refugee camp are expected to be repatriated in batches.
Reports suggest that the first batch of 770 Liberians living in Ghana have been repatriated home with the remaining to be sent in due course.
A video sighted on TikTok by YEN.com.gh showed the Liberian refugees packing bags and luggage into cross-country buses.
In the video, some refugees looked excited to be returning home while others had their faces filled with sadness, anxiety and uncertainty.
It is unclear from the video if the refugees were given the option to choose between staying in Ghana or leaving, however, their camp in Budumburam was demolished last year, which presupposes that they have nowhere else to stay.
"We are leaving Ghana finally, we are leaving Ghana finally oo. We tired. You can see our buses, is set, everybody, we going to our home," a voice of an excited lady was heard saying in the video.
Watch the first video below.
Ghanaians wish them well
Ghanaians who chanced on the video of the refugees repatriating home reacted, wishing them well.
A few of the comments are compiled below.
LeesmaQ said:
"Liberians are very nice people."
awurabena also said:
"safe journey we will miss them. I love that Liberia rice they sell at the budumburum market."
Oneside commented:
"An amount of money will be given to at Liberia. After taking the money most of them will come back to Ghana."
adwoayeboah338 replied:
"ashock. We're all here, we'll see."
Ericuz also commented:
"very emotional putting myself in their shoes. Many are now going to start life afresh."
Watch the second video below.
Ghana Refugee Boards warns gov't, public to be careful with admitting refugees
A senior official of the Ghana Refugee Board, Dr. Kofi Anane, has warned against admitting numerous and unverified people believed to be refugees, saying there are concerns for Ghana’s security too.
Dr Anane asked the government and public to be circumspect in dealing with the number and nature of people who are making recent cross-border movements into Ghana as refugees.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
