MPs raise concerns over influx of Burkinabes in northern Ghana

Some Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Upper East and Upper West Regions have raised concerns about the increasing influx of refugees from neighbouring Burkina Faso into their constituencies and surrounding areas.

The refugees are fleeing from the Jihadist attacks that have been taking place in Burkina Faso, seeking safety and shelter in Ghana.

The Jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso have caused a humanitarian crisis, forcing many innocent civilians to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring countries like Ghana.

Apart from the fact that these immigrants are seeking asylum those who came with their  livestock are causing threats to these communities, raising concerns about the safety of their crops as we are in the farming season.”

“The disregard for community rules and careless attitude towards the environment is posing serious challenges to these communities where they live

For instance, these communities have forest reserves but since their coming into these communities, refugees have been engaged in indiscriminate cutting of trees and the clearing of forest reserves that can harm severely our forest reserves and the survival of the ecosystem,” he stated.

One is about the communication situation in the various communities that are sharing borders with the neighbouring Burkina Faso and many of these people come into our country through unapproved routes and it is very difficult to differentiate between a refugee and a Jihadist.”