The Ghana Refugee Board has said that most dwellers at the Buduburam camp are not refugees; hence, it is no longer considered a refugee camp.
The clarification follows the demolition exercise on February 27, 2024, which rendered about 600 people, including Liberians and Ghanaians, homeless.
Speaking in an interview, the Executive Secretary, Tetteh Padie, revealed that out of the number of victims reported, 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.
These people, he explained, are their responsibility and there are therefore plans in place to relocate them to other refugee camps.
“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 the Ampain Refugee Camp.
“So for these people who have opted to go to the refugee camp, we will provide free transportation. We will provide some money for them to start; this will be provided by the UNHCR; they are our partners,” he explained.
The demolition, which was earlier scheduled for 2021, was postponed following pleas by residents for adequate time.
It was necessitated by concerns from chiefs in the area about the increasing social vices and the camp being turned into an abode for suspected criminals.
The Gomoa East DCE, Solomon Quarm, stressed the camp had outlived its usefulness, hence, the call from the chiefs was a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, some victims, almost two months after the exercise, have expressed feelings of abandonment and uncertainty about their future.