World Refugee Economic Summit 2025 focuses on youth inclusion and economic empowerment in Ghana

In commemoration of World Refugee Day, stakeholders across government, humanitarian, private sector, and faith-based institutions convened in Accra on Thursday, June 12, 2025, for the World Refugee Economic Summit (WRES). Held at The Avi Airport Hotel, the event was organized under the theme: ‘Leveraging Community as a Superpower to Build Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Refugee Youth’.

The summit served as a platform for advancing policy and practice aimed at fostering refugee inclusion, self-sufficiency, and economic empowerment, with a specific focus on refugee youth. Organized by a coalition comprising the Mastercard Foundation, Ghana Refugee Board (GRB), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Amahoro Coalition, Christian Council of Ghana, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and WUSC’s DREEM Youth Advisory Committee (YAE), the summit drew participation from policymakers, civil society leaders, private sector actors, and refugee youth representatives.

According to the United Nations, over 43.3 million refugees were under UNHCR’s mandate as of mid-2024, a figure reflecting the global urgency of sustainable and inclusive responses to forced displacement. In Ghana, approximately 15,000 refugees and asylum seekers are currently hosted across camps and urban centers, with increasing calls for livelihood interventions and socio-economic integration.

Delivering the welcome address, Appiah Wiafe Adofo, Country Director for WUSC Ghana, highlighted the imperative of integrating refugees into national development frameworks. “We cannot talk about sustainable development without intentionally including refugees. Today, we are not just creating conversations—we are co-creating solutions with the very people who are living through displacement,” she said. “This summit reflects our belief that refugee youth are not merely beneficiaries; they are builders of their own futures and contributors to national progress,” she added.

A key highlight of the summit was a panel session that brought together representatives from government institutions, humanitarian bodies, and the private sector. The session explored systemic barriers faced by refugees in Ghana and examined practical strategies to address them.

Tetteh Padi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB), disclosed that official identification cards will be issued to eligible refugees to facilitate access to financial services and formal employment. “The National Identification Authority law specifies that foreigners who are residents in the country for more than three months must be issued with a non-citizen identity card,” Mr. Padi explained. This move aims to regularize the status of thousands of displaced persons and unlock critical pathways to socio-economic inclusion.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), represented by Chief Superintendent Francis Ayebie, reaffirmed its collaboration with GRB to streamline access to legal documents for refugees. “The GIS has maintained close partnership with the GRB to ensure refugees can access necessary documents for accommodation in Ghana,” Mr. Ayebie noted.

Personal testimonies from refugee youth added urgency and authenticity to the discussions. Trust Ngulefac Tamonkla, a Cameroonian refugee residing in Ghana for six years, described the challenges in securing work permits and job opportunities. He called for more consistent efforts to improve refugee living conditions and eliminate administrative bottlenecks.

Delivering a solidarity message, Mercy Kusiwaa Frimpong of the Amahoro Coalition reported that over 33,000 job pledges had been secured from private sector partners for refugees across Africa during the recent Africa Forum on Displacement held in Nairobi. “We are proving that refugees are not burdens. They are doctors, coders, agripreneurs, teachers, and technicians who fled conflict, not their skills,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the Mastercard Foundation, Rica Regan, Country Director, highlighted the organization’s commitment to equipping displaced youth with the skills and tools needed for entrepreneurship and employment. “At Mastercard Foundation, we believe that by equipping refugee youth with tools for entrepreneurship and employment, we lay the foundation for long-term growth and peace,” she said.

As Ghana and the continent continue to face the complex realities of displacement, the summit reiterated a unified message: refugees are not the problem—they are part of the solution. Stakeholders advocated for deeper cross-sector collaboration, accelerated policy implementation, and a strategic shift from short-term aid to long-term development-oriented integration.

The World Refugee Economic Summit

The World Refugee Economic Summit is convened by a coalition of national and international organizations committed to refugee protection and economic inclusion, including the Mastercard Foundation, Ghana Refugee Board (GRB), UNHCR, Christian Council of Ghana, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and WUSC’s DREEM Youth Advisory Committee (YAE) with support from Amahoro Coalition.

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