Refugee-Host Interaction in the Krisan Refugee Settlement in Ghana

Abstract

The limited opportunities available for refugees to resettle in a third country,
the reluctance of refugees to voluntarily repatriate to place of origin and the
unwillingness of some host countries to encourage the integration of
refugees have led to protracted refugee situations, especially in developing
countries. This paper assesses factors likely to influence the integration of
refugees at a camp near Krisan in the Western Region of Ghana within the
context of refugee-host interaction. Quantitative data were collected from
180 people from the host population and 180 refugees and in-depth
interviews were held with opinion leaders, representatives of UNHCR and
partners. The paper argues that the integration of refugees depends on the
tolerance of host communities to infractions and the preparedness of the
refugees to operate within the accep table norms of the community. Where the
activities of refugees threaten the systems of the host population, peaceful coexistence is likely to be problematic. At Krisan, the host population has
tolerated and accommodated the refugees to some extent, but there have been
misunderstandings on issues such as use of forest resources. To ensure
peaceful co-existence in areas such as Krisan, there is the need for periodic
platforms for stakeholders to interact and address potential conflict areas.
Keywords: Krisan. Refi1gee Settlement, refugee-host interaction, local
integration, peaceful co-existence