Refugees from Sudan leave Ghana to start anew, help families back home

Accra, Ghana – “I pray for all the refugees in the world. I tell them to work hard and be patient.”

Rashida is a refugee from Sudan. She came to Ghana in 2014, and together with her husband, Mustapha, and their three children lived in the Krisan Refugee Camp in the Western Region until January 2024 when they left for the US.

“I have been waiting for this day for nine years,” Rashida said.

Looking back at her time in Ghana, Rashida is grateful. Grateful to the Government of Ghana for the peace in the country. Grateful to the organisations that supported her and her family and other refugees along the way – the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR, and the Ghana Refugee Board.

“I came to Ghana because there is war in my country, people are fighting. I escaped my country and came to Ghana for peace. Ghana is good. Ghana is peaceful. I like Ghana,” Rashida said.

The refugees have found new friends and became a family in the camp. Mustapha recalled: “We are 13 nationalities, and we are all working together.” Rashida and Mustapha were able to make an income as poultry farmers, selling their produce within the Krisan Refugee Camp and in Takoradi.

Rashida and Mustapha are courageous and optimistic about their future. “I am not scared,” says Rashida. “I am ready to do anything. I want to go to school and learn to be a businesswoman.”

Most of all, they are looking forward to a better future for their children. “My hope for my children is that they will learn and study, and that I can take care of them well. This is my dream,” Rashida said.

Mustapha added: “My dream for my future is to work hard. I have a lot of family still displaced in Sudan and I want to help them, because right now, the situation is very bad. Sometimes they go to sleep without having eaten, there is no work for them.”

IOM bid goodbye to Rashida and Mustapha’s family in January 2024 when they left Ghana for the US together with 18 other refugees from Sudan and the Central African Republic.

This was made possible through a collaboration between IOM, UNHCR Ghana, the Ghana Refugee Board, the Church World Service/Resettlement Support Center Africa (RSC Africa) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), through the United States Resettlement Admission Program (USRAP). IOM’s support throughout the resettlement process included medical health assessments, cultural orientation, transportation, accommodation, and catering services.

Elizabeth Mensah, Operations Assistant at IOM Ghana, was one of the colleagues who accompanied the refugees throughout the process – from the day when the refugees were interviewed by USCIS at the US Embassy in Accra until the day of their departure.

She says: “We are here for the sake of the refugees. IOM is passionate about the lives of the refugees, and making sure that they resettle successfully and peacefully with their families.” She adds: “I can’t describe the feeling of being able to support the vulnerable and be there for them, because they look up to us. I feel very proud to be able to interact with them, to get to hear their stories, and to be part of their success story of being resettled to the US.”

In 2023, IOM Ghana facilitated the departure of 1,702 (895 men, 807 women) refugees across 15 countries in West and Central Africa. Of these, 594 refugees (350 men, 244 women) were resettled to the US with the support of six countries: Cameroon; Ghana; Guinea; Mauritania; Niger and Togo.

IOM Ghana's Migration Health Division (MHD) also plays a crucial role in the process as it provides health assessments and vaccinations to the refugees. In 2023, 200+ refugees residing in Ghana and preparing for resettlement to the US received health assessments to identify and address any health concerns before embarking on their journeys. This support, provided at IOM Ghana's Migration Health Assessment Centre (MHAC) in Accra and at St. Martin De Porres Hospital in Eikwe, close to the Krisan Refugee Camp, ensured the refugees were fit for travel.

“Today is the happiest day in my life. I am travelling to the US today. I am looking forward to the future for my children and us,” said Mustapha upon departure at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

Upon arrival in the US, the US Government and other resettlement agencies have taken over to help the refugees start their new lives.

IOM Ghana wishes Rashida and Mustapha’s family all the best for their future and continues to stand in solidarity with all refugees in Ghana and worldwide.