The government has launched an agricultural support initiative for Burkinabe asylum seekers in Ghana as part of efforts to promote self-reliance and reduce pressure on host communities.

According to World Vision Ghana, more than 10,000 asylum seekers from Burkina Faso had arrived in Ghana by May 2025, fleeing armed conflict, extremist violence and climate-related challenges. The asylum seekers are being hosted in communities including Tarikom, Zini, Fielmo, Bansi and Issakatinga in northern Ghana.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, June 23, Minister for the Interior Muntaka Mubarak said the government, through the Ghana Refugee Board, has acquired land under the Ghana Refugee Agriculture Project Support Programme to support refugee livelihoods.

He disclosed that about 10,000 hectares of land have been secured for the initiative to enable refugees to engage in farming rather than compete with host communities for land for cultivation or grazing.

Mr Mubarak said the programme is intended to support peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities while creating opportunities for refugees to sustain themselves through agriculture.

He noted that many of the Burkinabe refugees have expressed interest in farming and that the programme will provide access to land and agricultural inputs to help them produce food and support their livelihoods.