From the 1969 Alien Compliance Order to the Buduburam refugee crisis, historical tensions over migration continue to shape debates among West Africans today.
From the 1969 Alien Compliance Order to the Buduburam refugee crisis, historical tensions over migration continue to shape debates among West Africans today.
Migration has always been a defining feature of West Africa. For decades, citizens of neighboring countries have moved across borders in search of safety, work, and opportunity. However, the region has also experienced moments of tension when economic hardship, political pressure, and social anxieties led governments to expel foreign nationals. Ghana, once known as the Gold Coast, has been central to several of these historic moments.
Today, debates resurfacing online among Liberians, Nigerians, and Ghanaians, particularly following the death of a Liberian national, Austin Tangbeh, have revived memories of past migration crises and raised questions about Ghana’s historical relationship with its neighbors.
Early Migration and the 1969 Expulsion
During the early decades following independence, Ghana was considered one of the most stable and economically promising countries in West Africa. This attracted migrants from across the region, including traders, workers, and refugees from countries such as Nigeria.
However, economic pressures began to mount by the late 1960s. In 1969, the government of Kofi Abrefa Busia introduced the Alien Compliance Order, a policy requiring all foreign nationals without valid residence permits to leave Ghana within a short period.
The order affected hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many of whom were Nigerians working in trade and commerce. The policy was largely justified as an effort to protect jobs and economic opportunities for Ghanaian citizens during a difficult economic period.
While the order was a government policy framed around immigration compliance, critics argued that it also fueled anti-foreigner sentiment in the country. Many migrants were forced to leave quickly, creating one of the earliest major migration crises in modern West African history. Nigerians were pushed out to leave the land they occupied called “Kasou” because it was becoming a threat to their lives, but remembering most Nigerians migrated to Ghana not because of jobs, but due to the Biafran War in Nigeria which began on July 6, 1967.
Nigeria’s Response and the Birth of “Ghana Must Go”
More than a decade later, economic fortunes in West Africa shifted dramatically. During Nigeria’s oil boom of the 1970s, thousands of West Africans, including many Ghanaians, migrated to Nigeria for better opportunities.
However, when Nigeria’s economy began to decline in the early 1980s, the government of Shehu Shagari ordered undocumented immigrants to leave the country in 1983.
The expulsion primarily affected Ghanaian migrants and led to the popular phrase “Ghana Must Go.” The term came to symbolize the hurried departure of migrants who packed their belongings in large woven bags, bags that later became widely known across West Africa as “Ghana Must Go bags.” Nigerians never forget, and they give Ghana a payback, under the same law that made them to ask others to leave to protect jobs for their citizens, Nigerians reminded them, and that how the moment known as “Ghana Must Go.”
Although the order targeted undocumented migrants in general, many observers saw it as a reciprocal action following Ghana’s earlier expulsion of Nigerians in 1969.
Liberian Refugees and the Buduburam Camp
Another chapter in this complex regional history emerged during the Liberian civil wars between 1989 and 2003. Thousands of Liberians fled to Ghana seeking safety and humanitarian assistance.
One of the largest refugee settlements was the Buduburam Refugee Camp, located near Kasoa in the Central Region.
Over time, the camp evolved into a large community where Liberians built schools, clinics, churches, and small businesses. Many refugees relied on international humanitarian aid, particularly from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Tensions began to rise in the early 2000s. In 2008, protests broke out among Liberian refugees who were demanding increased resettlement grants. Ghanaian authorities arrested and deported some protesters, further straining relations between refugees and local communities.
Local residents (Ghanaian citizens) sometimes complained that refugees were receiving benefits unavailable to Ghanaian citizens, and that they were not living as refugees, but owner of the land. Meanwhile, refugees reported discrimination, rising costs for services, and hostility from some locals.
Closure of Buduburam
By 2012, many Liberian refugees had lost their official refugee status as the Liberian civil war had ended and international organizations began encouraging repatriation.
In the years that followed, Ghana gradually moved toward closing the Buduburam settlement. Authorities cited security concerns and allegations that criminal activities were occurring within the camp.
Demolition of parts of the settlement and relocation efforts intensified in the early 2020s, eventually leading to the camp’s closure. The process involved cooperation between the Ghanaian government, the Liberian government, and international partners such as the UNHCR, which worked to facilitate voluntary return programs.
Migration, Economics, and Xenophobia
Across West Africa, migration tensions have often been driven by economic pressures rather than long-standing national hostility. When economies decline, foreign nationals frequently become targets of frustration as governments attempt to protect local employment and resources.
While Ghana has faced criticism for past expulsions and refugee disputes, similar migration crackdowns have occurred in several African countries over the years.
These historical episodes demonstrate the delicate balance between national economic interests and regional solidarity in West Africa.
A History That Still Shapes Today’s Debate
Recent online debates among Liberians, Nigerians, and Ghanaians show that these historical events remain deeply remembered across the region.
The phrase “Ghana Must Go” has become more than just a slogan, it is now part of West African political and social memory. For some, it represents economic survival policies taken during difficult times. For others, it symbolizes moments when regional unity gave way to fear, nationalism, and xenophobia.
As West Africa continues to integrate economically and politically, many observers argue that understanding this shared history is essential for building stronger cooperation among neighboring nations.
