Population figures
Total country population
34,777,522
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
7,091
Asylum-seekers:
5,239
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Ghana is located along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, bordered by Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east. Its geographic position places it within a region experiencing significant cross-border displacement, particularly from the Sahel.
As of early 2024, Ghana continued to host a mixed population of registered and unregistered refugees and asylum-seekers, predominantly originating from Burkina Faso, Togo, Liberia, and Sudan. A significant portion of these individuals arrived from Burkina Faso and were located across the Upper East, Upper West, and Bono East regions. While some individuals had formal refugee status, others had not yet undergone the registration process. By the end of 2024, the number of asylum-seekers residing in these northern and central regions of Ghana had grown substantially, with a portion of them formally documented under national refugee procedures and the remainder awaiting registration.
...Refugees and asylum-seekers in Ghana are distributed across various regions. Burkinabe nationals are predominantly located in the northern regions, while Togolese refugees are mainly in the Volta Region. Urban areas, including Accra and its surroundings, also host a portion of the refugee population. Additionally, there are camp-based populations in the western part of the country.
In response to the influx of asylum-seekers, reception and settlement centers have been established in Tarikom (Upper East Region) and Zini (Upper West Region). These centers provide shelter and basic assistance to asylum-seekers who relocate there.
While specific data on stateless persons in Ghana is limited, the country is part of a region where statelessness remains a concern. Efforts are ongoing to address statelessness through legal and policy frameworks aimed at ensuring that affected individuals can acquire recognized legal identity and nationality.
Ghana is also involved in regional initiatives to strengthen asylum frameworks and improve refugee status determination procedures. Recent developments have seen Ghana participating in regional efforts aimed at addressing the challenges of forced displacement. The Gulf of Guinea Joint Response Plan 2024 highlights Ghana's role in responding to the influx of refugees and asylum-seekers from the central Sahel region. This collaborative approach underscores the country's commitment to regional stability and the protection of displaced populations.
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