Mahama calls out West’s “hypocrisy” on refugees at UN Assembly

President John Dramani Mahama has strongly criticised what he termed as hypocrisy in global migration policies, drawing attention to the unequal treatment of refugees based on race and geography.

Delivering Ghana’s address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, 25 September, Mahama accused Western nations of showing bias in their response to migration crises. He contrasted the swift and generous acceptance of Ukrainian refugees with the reluctance shown toward Africans displaced by war and climate disasters.

Citing Sudan’s ongoing conflict, which the UN has labelled the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, the Ghanaian leader underscored the plight of 12 million people forced from their homes. “When we speak of migration, we refer to the 12 million new refugees, whom we, as a global community, should be willing to assist in much the same way that many member nations readily assisted new refugees from Ukraine,” Mahama urged.

He also highlighted the role of climate change in fuelling forced migration, pointing out that the Global North — responsible for 75 per cent more greenhouse gas emissions — bears less of the burden of its consequences. “When the desert encroaches and our villages and towns become unlivable, we are forced to flee,” he said, stressing that the world must reject xenophobia and racism in dealing with displaced persons.

To shift the narrative on migration, Mahama celebrated the achievements of African immigrants who have excelled abroad. He mentioned Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, the first Black female judge on any of California’s federal district courts, and Peter Bossman, a Ghanaian-born doctor who became the first Black mayor in Slovenia and Eastern Europe.

“We cannot normalise xenophobia and racism. If we are going to tell a story, let’s not tell it slant. Let’s tell all the truth,” Mahama concluded, urging global leaders to adopt a fairer and more inclusive approach to migration.