National security is intensifying surveillance at the country’s border with Burkina Faso following the arrest of some alleged refugees who were found with weapons and ammunition after a thorough search.

These refugees were dressed as nursing mothers.

It is unclear their real intentions in Ghana , but Deputy Defence Minister, Kwaku Amankwah Manu says the development has pushed the security agencies to tighten the search on asylum seekers.

Speaking on the Probe on Joy News, Mr. Manu said government will not sacrifice the safety of Ghanaians for the rights of the asylum seekers in its quest to safeguard the borders of the country.

“We need to screen whoever is coming in, if you’re coming in and you genuinely deserve assistance, based on the 1951 Refugee Convention, we’ll do what is expected of us, but when you don’t then there’s nothing we can do.”

“In instances where I have seen pictures of women carrying babies less than a year, and as part of their luggage you’ll be surprised to see ammunition, guns and other things hidden in certain parts of cattle.”

“So, we really need to be on the lookout, we have the Ghanaian people to protect, we have properties to protect, we cannot say that because we want to be compassionate we will not look at the security of our nation”he noted.

Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior committee of Parliament, James Agalga says government has every right to screen the refugees but must also be mindful of international treaties that protect the rights of the asylum seekers.

 “Government clearly has a commitment not to repatriate refugees who are properly speaking refugees to countries where they may face very serious threats to their lives and fundamental freedoms.”

“Having said that, it does not mean government cannot screen refugees who enter our country, we cannot be sure that those who come in and seek asylum in our country because of the crisis in the neighbouring countries are genuine refugees.”

“Because there are examples that people masquerade as refugees and at the end of the day, it turns out that they’re actually terrorists who disguise themselves just to infiltrate, and so when they have credible intelligence, it will go a long way," he said.

So far, the Ghana Refugee Board has registered 3,200 Burkinabes seeking asylum in Ghana.

Executive Secretary of the Board, Tetteh Kwao Padi says they are in the process of undertaking compulsory movement of all the refugees to a designated reception center for thorough screening.

 “We’re still in the process of registering more people who are coming in, what I can confidently say is that none of the Burkinabes that we have registered has been sent back."

“We are transporting the asylum seekers to the reception center where there will be other interventions such as food, water, and electricity. We’re trying to make them as comfortable as possible.”

“It also enables us to account for them, some of them have been living in the host communities for some time and have been reluctant to move,” Mr. Padi said.