The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has donated decommissioned passport-processing equipment valued at GH¢539,574 to the Ghana Refugee Board to support its operations. The items include four passport printers, four lamination machines, four Canon cameras, one Epson receipt printer and two signature pads. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the donation was part of efforts to strengthen collaboration among state institutions and support the Refugee Board in fulfilling its humanitarian mandate.

Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the equipment, Mr Ablakwa commended the Ghana Refugee Board for its role in providing protection and assistance to people displaced by conflicts, disasters and political challenges. “We follow your activities keenly and we know that you play a very integral role when it comes to consular assistance and positioning Ghana as a safe haven,” Mr Ablakwa said. He said Ghana had a long-standing tradition of opening its doors to people in distress, citing the country’s response to Liberian refugees as a notable example of its commitment to Pan-Africanism and humanitarianism. “We have had a very rich history as a country, consistently opening our doors to receive those who find themselves in distress,” he said. Mr Ablakwa recalled that Ghana hosted Liberian refugees for more than a decade at the Buduburam refugee settlement, with many eventually integrating into Ghanaian society, pursuing education, establishing families and contributing to their host communities.

He said similar support had been extended to refugees from Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other countries over the years. According to the Minister, the donated equipment had previously been used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to process biometric passports but became surplus following Ghana’s transition to chip-embedded, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-compliant passports. He explained that rather than allow the equipment to become obsolete or remain unused, the Ministry decided to transfer it to the Ghana Refugee Board, which had expressed a need for the items. “It’s one government, it’s one nation, and we should be helping each other, particularly as the work that the Refugee Board does enhances our image as a nation,” Mr Ablakwa said. He assured the Board that the equipment had been tested by the Ministry’s Information Technology Department and certified to be in good working condition.

Mr Ablakwa also called for increased financial and logistical support for the Ghana Refugee Board, noting that the institution operates under significant financial constraints. He expressed hope that the donation would encourage other partners to support the Board and enable it to provide better services to refugees and asylum seekers. The Minister further stressed the importance of accountability in the management of state resources, saying the equipment remained the property of the state and that the relevant auditors had to be informed of the transfer. “These are items bought with taxpayer resources. If the auditors are looking for them now, they are with the Refugee Board,” he said.

Receiving the items on behalf of the Ghana Refugee Board, its Executive Secretary, Nana Asare Bediako, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the donation and its continued support. He said the Board was facing significant operational challenges, particularly following funding cuts from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Nana Asare Bediako said the Board would make the best use of the equipment to improve services to refugees and asylum seekers in Ghana. He thanked the Minister and his team for their support and appealed for continued assistance to enable the Board to effectively discharge its mandate.