REFUGEES’ REFLECTIONS ON THEIR STAY
IN THE BUDUMBURAM CAMP IN GHANA
BY
AGUSTINE TANLE
DEPARTMENT OF POPULATION AND HEALTH
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST
2012 GHANA GEOGRAPHIICAL ASSOCIATION
CONFERENCE, KNUST, KUMASI
1ST- 4TH AUGUST, 2012
OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
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Introduction
Research questions/objective
Theoretical framework
Methodology
Main findings
Policy recommendations
INTRODUCTION
• Hosting of refugees in Ghana (since the 1990s)
• Some previous studies in the Buduburam
camp: Porter et al(2008)-refugee-host r/ships
in the context of livelihood opportunities.
• Dick (2002a, b)-preparedness of Liberia
refugees for self-reliance and responding to
protracted refugee situations.
• Agblorti (2011)-host community’s
perspectives on refugee integration in Ghana.
Research questions/objective
• What are the refugees experiences in Ghana?
• What are their future plans?
• Main objective: To explore the experiences of
the Liberian refugees in the Budumburam
camp.
Theoretical framework
• Structuration theory by Giddens (1984) and
Kunz’s (1981) kenetic model.
• Components of the sructuration theory:
Agency, structure, duality of structure,
institutions, dialectic of control and
time/space relations.
• Agency: Knowledgeable and capable
individual.
Theoretical framework con’t
• Structure: Rules (recursive rules, norms, laws,
etc) and resources organized as properties of
social systems
• Duality of structure: Defines relationships
between structure and agency.
• Institutions: Socio-cultural, economic and
political structures that influence individual
behaviour in society.
Theoretical framework con’t
• Dialectic of control: The power of every
individual to influence society no matter how
minute the impact may be.
• Time/space dimension indicates how social
relations vary with time and space.
• Kunz’s (1981) kenetic model: Anticipatory
refugee movements and acute refugee
movements.
Theoretical framework con’t
• Anticipatory refugee senses the danger in
advance, plans and moves before a crisis
situation sets in.
• Acute refugee movements require immediate
escape from one’s place of usual residence in
order to save one’s life.
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Methodology
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Qualitative research
Instrument: IDI guide
Sampling procedures: Snowball and quota
Total number interviewed: 44 Liberian
refugees
• Field assistants: Final year students
Economic experiences
• Informal sector activities—Petty trading,
artisan works, farming, direct sale of labour,
etc. and unemployment.
• Formal sector employment?
• Agency capabilities (Skills, knowledge, etc.)
• Agencies (Refugee and indigene population).
• Institutions (Facilitates and constraints).
Excerpts
• Through petty trading, l earn some income to support my
husband and children. Sometimes I pay the children’s school
fees (Female Liberian refugee, aged 29 years, petty trader,
lived in the camp for 11 years)(Agency Capabilities).
• My brother in Nigeria occasionally sends money to me for my
education (Male Liberian refugee, aged 17 years, a student).
(Access to transnational resources ( space )
Excerpt
• I am a teacher in the camp employed by UNHCR. But we are
not paid during the holidays because it is from the school fees
that we are paid. During holidays, l borrow money from fellow
Liberians in the camp. Occasionally, l receive foodstuffs from
parents of my students and also remittances from Liberians
abroad ($50.00 on the average). Also, l am a church elder and
every month l receive some economic support from my church
(Male Liberian refugee, aged 45 years, a teacher, 21 years in
the camp). (Social networks create economic
opportunities).
Socio-cultural experiences
• Social networks (socialization, marital unions,
economic opportunities, etc.), Acculturation
(Diets, language, dressing, etc.), Cultural
shocks, Formal education, Discrimination, etc.
• Psychosocial experiences: Flashbacks,
psychological trauma, Stigmatization, etc.
• Perceptions about Ghanaians (Positive and
negative)
Excerpts
• .....I even fell in love with a Ghanaian young man and got
pregnant for him, hahaa, he’s the father of my first
daughter. (A 35 year old female Liberian refugee,
unemployed but lived in the camp for 20 years)(Social
networks).
• Actually, I was very young when I came to Ghana so I am
comfortable with the food here, way of dressing and the
local language (Twi) . I do everything like any Ghanaian will
do (Female Liberian refugee, 23 years, unemployed, 13
years in the camp)(Acculturation).
Excerpts
• In terms of culture, it is sometimes interesting. I have
experienced some cultural shocks. For example, Ghanaians
use our favourite cassava leaves to feed sheep and goats
(Female Liberian refugee, 45 years, petty trader, 21 years in
the camp).
• For we Liberians, giving out something to a person using the
left hand is acceptable but the Ghanaians feel offended and in
some cases it has resulted in a quarrel or a fight (Male
Liberian refugee, 45 years, teacher, 21 years in the camp)
(Cultural shocks)
Excerpt
• People discriminate a lot in the school and at the health
centre. The teachers have no concern for our academic
progress. I think we are all blacks so one should not
discriminate against another like the whites do but it happened
here (Female Liberian refugee, 26 years, beautician apprentice,
10 years n the camp) (Discrimination).
Excerpts
• Sometimes I experience some flashbacks, especially when I remember the
relationship that existed between me and my parents. Here I am, a school
drop-out, not married but have two kids. I just can’t stand it (Female
Liberian refugee, 35years, unemployed, 20 years in the camp).
• I lost my parents and siblings during the war in Liberia. My mother was
stripped naked and raped and I was made to clap my hands and laugh
while they (that is the rebels) shot my mum and my dad. My siblings were
killed as well for failing to laugh and clap their hands while my parents
were being killed..... At times, when I am alone, I asked myself that why I
didn’t also allow myself to be killed by the rebels so that I join my family. I
get traumatized when I see a gun even on television (Female Liberian
refugee, aged 41 years, hair dresser, 21 years in the camp) (Flashbacks).
Excerpts
• I was employed in one plastic company at Kaneshie but was fired. Even I
like it that way because the people do not respect me; everything they’ll
refer to me as “ooh that refugee, that refugee” as if I’m not a human being
(Male Liberian refugee, aged 33 years, unemployed, 21 years in the camp).
• Sometimes the comments and issues that are discussed about Liberian
refugees on television and some radio stations make me regret for being
resettled in Ghana (Male Liberian refugee, 35 years, teacher, 18 years in
the camp ).
• Most of the time, we are insulted in schools and everything bad that
happens in school is associated with us which is very painful. Again, some
section of the public associate us with prostitution (Female Liberian
refugee, 23 years, unemployed, 13 years in the camp)(Stigmatization).
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Excerpt
• I have some Ghanaians friends outside this camp. Ghanaians are very
friendly and my friends at times give me help both in cash and in kind
(Female Liberian refugee, 24 years, petty trader, 16 years in the camp).
• People sometimes come to us to ask for sexual intercourse, I remember a
young man came to the camp some months back and ask me and my two
other friends to go and have sexual intercourse with him for GHc50. That
day I was very sad. I don’t know whether they think we are prostitutes
(Female Liberian refugee, 23 years, unemployed, 13 years in the camp)
(Perceptions).
Basic infrastructure and security
• Access to basic infrastructural facilities:
Schools, Potable water, Health facilities,
Electricity and Sanitation facilities
(Institutions)
• Security situation in and around the camp:
Police station, fire service, NADMO,
(Institutions), Neighbourhood security team
(Dialectics of control), etc.
Excerpts
• There is poor security in the camp. Some Ghanaians,
Nigerians, Cameroonians and Togolese are not refugees but
they are all living in the camp . The camp has become a refuge
for all kinds of criminals because of the poor security. (Male
Liberian refugee, 45 years, teacher, 21 years in the camp).
• The most painful thing is that sometimes when you call the
police to come to your aid when you are in trouble, they will
ask you to go and solve your own problems. The police must
sit up (Male Liberian refugee, 36 years, unemployed, 20 years
in the camp) (Institution).
Future plans
• Desired to go back to Liberia (Anticipatory
refugee movements).
• Wished to continue to stay in Ghana (Acute
refugee movements).
• Preferred to stay in Ghana or a third country
(Acute refugee movements).
Excerpts
• Well, I do not want to stay in Ghana because my country needs my services
as a degree holder in information and communication technology to foster
its development(Male Liberian refugee, 35 years, teacher, 18 years in the
camp) (Anticipatory refugee movements and dialectic of control)
• I have lived here for almost 21years and can speak about three Ghanaian
languages. Hahaa, I am almost a Ghanaian can’t you see? In fact, I don’t
want to go back to Liberia. Secondly, I have the feeling that if I return to
Liberia, I will be persecuted or confronted with violence and trauma
(Female Liberian refugee, 45 years, petty trader, 21 years in the camp)
(Acute refugee movements and dialectic of control).
Excerpt
• I have lost my father in Liberia, l don’t know where my mother is, l can’t
identify my home at Liberia, l have built a house here and also have some
dependents...... If UNHCR says we should leave Ghana, l think Ghana
government have the power to say no, we should stay in Ghana
permanently. Alternatively, the government of Ghana could arrange for us
to be sent to a third country (Female Liberian refugee, aged 34 years, petty
trader, 14 years in the camp) (Acute refugee movements and dialectic of
control).
Policy recommendations
• The application of the three durable solutions to refugees should be casespecific and not across board since they had different experiences during
the war in Liberia.
• If some refugees are to be considered for local integration, GRB and
UNHCR should provide skills training for those without any skills to
enable them to get jobs in future, particularly the females who are more
vulnerable.
• There is the need for adequate and effective security in the camp to protect
the refugees. Proper identification and documentation of information on
refugees could help flash out non-refugees in the camp.
Policy recommendations con’t
• There is the need to improve upon the utility facilities in the camp,
especially the water supply system.
• There is the need for proper dissemination of information from camp
management and stakeholders to refugees to ensure transparency and
forestall occasional refugee rioting or demonstration in the camp.