National Documentation Packages (NDPs) are lists of public documents that provide information on country conditions. Updates occur on a regular basis.
NDPs support the refugee determination process. They do not imply recognition of a particular territory's sovereignty or political status.
NDPs include Responses to Information Requests (RIRs) published by the IRB on its website which may have attachments that are inaccessible due to technical constraints and may include translations of documents originally written in languages other than English or French. To obtain a copy of such attachments and/or translated version of the
RIR attachments, please
email us.
Jurisprudential Guides Notes
Jurisprudential Guides Notes
On
July 28, 2022, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide:
-
Decision TC1 05038 – The proper interpretation of the ‘generalized risk’ exception to protection found at subparagraph 97(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, in claims for protection involving allegations of gang-targeting or other acts of criminality.
On
December 22, 2020, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision MB8-00025 – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses, in applying Article 1E of the Refugee Convention, whether members should consider allegations of risk in a country of residence if they conclude that a refugee claimant has the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of nationality in that country.
On
July 6, 2018, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision TB7-19851 – Nigeria – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses internal flight alternatives in major cities in south and central Nigeria for claimants fleeing non-state actors.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 10, 2018.
On
July 20, 2017, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being
Jurisprudential Guides.
-
Decision TB7-01837 – Pakistan – Whether the treatment experienced by Ahmadis in Pakistan amounts to persecution, whether state protection is available and whether there is a viable internal flight alternative.
-
Decision MB6-01059/60 – India – Availability of an internal flight alternative in India for claimants from Punjab.
Revoked
-
Decision TB6-11632 – China – Analysis of the efficacy of the Chinese national computer network known as the Golden Shield Project and its impact on whether a person wanted by the authorities can exit China via an airport using a genuine passport.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 20, 2017.
Back
31 March 2017
GHANA
List of Documents
1.
General Information and Maps
Source:
United Nations. Cartographic Section.
Date of Document:
February 2005
Accessed Date:
23 January 2007
Title:
Ghana. L'Encyclopédie en ligne.
Accessed Date:
8 September 2016
Title:
Ghana. The World Factbook.
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Date of Document:
6 September 2016
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
Title:
Country Information and Guidance Ghana: Sexual orientation and gender identity. Version 1.0.
Source:
United Kingdom. Home Office.
Date of Document:
February 2016
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
3 March 2017
Accessed Date:
7 March 2017
Title:
Ghana. Freedom in the World 2016.
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
Title:
Ghana. Amnesty International Report 2015/16: The State of the World's Human Rights.
Source:
Amnesty International
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Ghana
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
13 December 2012
Accessed Date:
22 September 2014
Keywords:
children; corruption; domestic violence; ethnic and national groups; female genital mutilation; freedom of expression; gender equality; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; judicial efficacy; labour; legal system; legislation; minorities; penal system; police/security forces; race; religion; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services; torture; trafficking in persons
Title:
Ghana. Civil Society Report on the Implementation of the ICCPR (Replies to the List of Issues CCPR/C/GHA/Q/1)
Source:
Human Rights Advocacy Centre et al.
Date of Document:
May 2016
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
3.
Identification Documents and Citizenship
Title:
Citizenship. Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (amended 1996), Chapter 3, Articles 6-10.
Accessed Date:
30 September 2016
Title:
The 'Certified Copy of Entry into Registry of Births' certificate; a description of its colour, size, and seals; whether the format has changed since 2006; procedures for renewal or re-issuance; who is authorized to sign the Register of Births ...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
15 July 2015
Accessed Date:
28 September 2015
Keywords:
children; identity documents
Title:
The military identification card, including whether simple soldiers receive a different card than that of higher-ranking military personnel; whether the length of military service is defined by contract; the procedure for resigning without ...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
3 February 2011
Accessed Date:
19 March 2013
Keywords:
identity documents; military service
Title:
Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591)
Accessed Date:
26 August 2013
Keywords:
children; citizenship; legislation; marriage
Title:
Ghana Reciprocity Schedule
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Keywords:
citizenship; identity documents
Title:
Requirements and procedures for obtaining a passport, both within and outside the country; types of documents accepted as proof of identity and citizenship (2008-2013)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
3 January 2014
Accessed Date:
22 September 2014
Keywords:
citizenship; identity documents
Title:
Availability of fraudulent identity documents, including instances of officials issuing fraudulent documents, including passports (2008-2013)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
3 January 2014
Accessed Date:
22 September 2014
Keywords:
corruption; crime; document fraud; identity documents; legislation; statistics
Title:
Requirements and procedures to replace a lost or stolen passport; whether applicants are fingerprinted to determine the issuance of previous passports; whether replacement passports have the same serial number as the one being replaced
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
17 April 2015
Accessed Date:
28 September 2015
Keywords:
document fraud; identity documents; legislation
4.
Political Activities and Organizations
Title:
Ghana. Parliament.
Source:
Inter-Parliamentary Union. Parline.
Date of Document:
11 March 2013
Accessed Date:
30 September 2016
Title:
I. Political Transformation. Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2016 - Ghana Country Report
Source:
Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
New Patriotic Party (NPP), including origin, structure, leadership and membership; treatment of NPP members by authorities (2011-November 2013)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
5 December 2013
Accessed Date:
22 September 2014
Keywords:
election; police efficacy; police/security forces; political activities; political opposition; political organizations; torture
Title:
Information on changes in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership; treatment of members of the NPP members by authorities, National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters, and intra-party conflict (2014-May 2016)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
27 May 2016
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
5.
Gender, Domestic Violence and Children
Title:
Concluding observations on the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Ghana
Source:
United Nations. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
Date of Document:
14 November 2014
Accessed Date:
30 September 2016
Title:
Ghana. Social Institutions and Gender Index 2014.
Source:
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Accessed Date:
16 September 2015
Keywords:
children; domestic violence; ethnic and national groups; family law; female genital mutilation; freedom of assembly; freedom of movement; gender equality; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; judicial efficacy; labour; legal system; legislation; marriage; medical records; minorities; police efficacy; police/security forces; religion; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services; statistics
Title:
Concluding observations on the combined third to fifth periodic reports of Ghana
Source:
United Nations. Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Date of Document:
13 July 2015
Accessed Date:
8 September 2016
Keywords:
abduction; children; citizenship; domestic violence; female genital mutilation; gender equality; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; judicial efficacy; labour; legal system; legislation; marriage; nationality; religion; sexual violence; social services; statistics; trafficking in persons
Title:
Precious Metal, Cheap Labor: Child Labor and Corporate Responsibility in Ghana's Artisanal Gold Mines
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
10 June 2015
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Addendum. Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Gulnara Shahinian. Mission to Ghana (22-29 November 2013Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Gulnara Shahinian. Addendum. Mission to Ghana (22-29 November 2013).
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
1 October 2014
Accessed Date:
16 September 2015
Keywords:
abduction; children; extralegal executions/killings; freedom of movement; institutional efficacy; labour; legislation; marriage; police efficacy; police/security forces; religion; sexual violence; social services; statistics; trafficking in persons
Title:
Domestic violence, including legislation, state protection and support services (2011-2015)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
17 September 2015
Accessed Date:
28 September 2015
Keywords:
children; domestic violence; family law; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; legal system; legislation; marriage; police/security forces; sexual violence; social services; statistics
Title:
2015 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Ghana
Source:
United States. Department of Labor.
Date of Document:
30 September 2015
Accessed Date:
30 September 2016
Title:
Basic profile of child marriage in Ghana
Date of Document:
March 2016
Author:
Chata Malé, Quentin T. Wodon
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
Title:
Treatment of sexual minorities by society and governmental authorities, including legislation, state protection, and support services
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
16 August 2012
Accessed Date:
19 March 2013
Keywords:
corruption; crime; extralegal executions/killings; freedom of assembly; freedom of expression; human rights activists; institutional efficacy; legal system; legislation; minorities; penal system; police efficacy; police/security forces; religion; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services; statistics
Title:
Ghana. State-Sponsored Homophobia. A World Survey of Sexual Orientation Laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition.
Source:
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Date of Document:
May 2016
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana. Status of LGBTI People in Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana and Uganda.
Source:
Finnish Immigration Service. Country Information Service.
Date of Document:
3 December 2015
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana. Criminalisation of Homosexuality.
Source:
Human Dignity Trust
Date of Document:
25 October 2015
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Human Rights Violations Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People in Ghana: A Shadow Report
Source:
Solace Brothers Foundation et al.
Date of Document:
August 2015
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana — 14th UPR Session
Source:
ARC International
Date of Document:
14 March 2013
Accessed Date:
30 September 2016
7.
Criminality and Corruption
Title:
Ghana. 2016 OSAC Crime and Safety Report.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
13 April 2016
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana (Tier 2 Watch List). Trafficking in Persons Report 2016.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
June 2016
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana. Bribery and Corruption 2016, 3rd Edition.
Source:
Global Legal Insights
Date of Document:
16 November 2015
Author:
Esi Tawia Addo-Ashong
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
8.
Military Service - (No items in this section)
9.
Judiciary, Legal and Penal Systems
Title:
Ghana. WJP Rule of Law Index 2015.
Source:
World Justice Project
Accessed Date:
16 September 2015
Keywords:
conflict; corruption; crime; freedom of assembly; freedom of expression; government corruption; institutional efficacy; judicial corruption; judicial efficacy; labour; police corruption; police/security forces; torture
Title:
Follow up report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on his follow-up visit to the Republic of Ghana
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
25 February 2016
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
10.
Police and Security Forces - (No items in this section)
Title:
Ghana. Freedom of the Press 2016
Accessed Date:
28 July 2016
Title:
Ghana. International Religious Freedom Report for 2015.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
10 August 2016
Accessed Date:
28 September 2016
Keywords:
ethnic and national groups; legislation; religion; statistics
Title:
Presence of cults or sects and consequences for refusing to join a cult; government attitude or response towards cults and/or any abuses committed by sect members (2004 - 2006)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
11 October 2006
Accessed Date:
19 March 2013
Keywords:
religion; tribes/clans
13.
Nationality, Ethnicity and Race
Title:
Consequences of refusing a fetish priest or chieftancy position, and whether there is state protection available
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
16 August 2012
Accessed Date:
19 March 2013
Keywords:
ethnic and national groups; religion; tribes/clans
Title:
State involvement in chieftancy matters, including state protection available for people involved in chieftancy disputes
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
1 October 2013
Accessed Date:
22 September 2014
Keywords:
conflict; ethnic and national groups; extralegal executions/killings; police efficacy; police/security forces; tribes/clans
14.
Exit/Entry and Freedom of Movement - (No items in this section)
15.
Labour, Employment and Unions - (No items in this section)
16.
Other - (No items in this section)
The following changes have been made to the previous package dated 30 September 2016:
Title:
Ghana. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
13 April 2016
URL:
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2015&dlid=252687
Accessed Date:
19 April 2016
Keywords:
arbitrary arrest and detention; children; citizenship; corruption; disappeared persons; domestic violence; ethnic and national groups; extralegal executions/killings; freedom of assembly; freedom of expression; freedom of the press; gender equality; institutional efficacy; internal displacement; Internet; labour; legal system; minorities; penal system; police efficacy; police/security forces; political activities; political prisoners; race; religion; sexual minorities; sexual violence; state surveillance; torture; warrants
Disclaimer
National Documentation Packages (NDPs) include country-of-origin information that is publicly accessible at the time of publication and available within time constraints. While the Research Directorate strives to maintain the
NDP with current information, the research is not exhaustive and country conditions can change rapidly. Members of the public are invited to
suggest documents they feel are relevant to the
NDP.
NDPs are not, and do not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Rather, they are intended to support the refugee determination process. The assessment and weight to be given to the information in the
NDPs are the responsibility of independent
IRB members (decision-makers) after considering the evidence and arguments presented by the parties.
All sources are fully cited, including a hyperlink, to facilitate the location of the information. The
IRB will attempt to ensure that these links are maintained for the most recent
NDP. It cannot guarantee or be responsible for:
- the functionality of links to external sources,
- the content accessed by these links,
- the availability of external content in both English and French,
- any other part of a third party website.
The information presented in
NDPs solely reflects the views and perspectives of the sources cited and does not necessarily reflect the position of the
IRB or the Government of Canada.