Dozens of Liberia-bound passengers arrived at the Kotoka International Airport in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, all set to say goodbye to the place many of them had for several years called their home. For many of these returning Liberian refugees, including children born and brought up in Ghana, this would be the first time to travel by air. There is a mixture of excitement and sadness, especially among the children as they are leaving behind their friends, but there is also the eager anticipation of stepping foot on their native land.

“We are eager to see our country and to continue our education, as well as make new friends,” says 14-year-old Yatta, whose parents fled to Ghana in 1990 as civil war broke out. “I am expecting Liberia to be beautiful just like Ghana,” she adds, smiling heartily.

At the airport, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) personnel assist the refugees with check-in formalities. Soon they are all seated at the given boarding gate as they look outside and see their belongings being loaded on the UN plane they will shortly board. Some discuss their years in refuge at the Budumburam camp in Ghana, some kilometers outside Accra, while others talk about the reception they hope to receive from friends and loved ones they had not seen for years.

As the plane takes off some children scream at their first such experience. Some look down through the windows to see the distance below. After nearly two hours of flying, the plane touches down at Monrovia’s Roberts International airport. It is an emotional atmosphere at the arrival as loved ones hug the returnees. Some shed tears of joy.

For some years, this has been the trend of repatriation of Liberian refugees from Ghana. Thousands of Liberians have returned on the plane contracted by the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) flying with 80 Liberian refugees every Friday and 50 every Sunday depending on the availability of space.

UNMIL’s assistance to the ongoing repatriation of refugees has been well appreciated by UNHCR personnel in Liberia, Ghana and Geneva. “Imagine what it will cost us to buy air tickets for hundreds of refugees. For this year for instance, more than 4,700 Liberian refugees have returned from Ghana including more than 90 per cent of whom returned by UNMIL’s flight. We are very grateful to the Mission’s leadership for this assistance,” commends UNHCR Deputy Representative Robert Tibagwa.

Repatriation of Liberian refugees, which started in 2004, is finally coming to end on 31 December this year. Tibagwa also appreciates the opportunity to sometimes charter the UN plane at a very reasonable cost to repatriate refugees from other countries such as The Gambia from where 332 Liberian refugees have been repatriated this year.

The UN refugee agency and partners are sensitizing refugees in countries of asylum to avail themselves of the opportunity to return as of 1 January 2013, UNHCR and partners would no more organize repatriation movement for Liberian refugees. So far this year, the UNHCR has facilitated the voluntary return of more than 20,000 Liberian refugees all of whom received repatriation and reintegration cash grant plus secondary transportation allowance totalling $375 for each adult and $ 275 for each child below 18. Since 2004, the UN refugee agency has facilitated the return of more than 146,000 Liberian refugees mainly from the West Africa sub-region. The Cessation Clause for Liberian refugees, which means Liberians are no longer considered refugees, came into effect on 1 July this year, but the UNHCR had continued to facilitate the return of thousands of refugees who had registered to return before that date.

UNHCR Representative Cosmas Chanda notes that UNHCR is also very thankful to the Mission for various supports such as the rehabilitation of roads to Ivorian refugee camps and ensuring security as Liberia currently hosts nearly 66,000 Ivorian refugees. “This is an excellent and remarkable example of cooperation between a peacekeeping mission and a UN agency. “

Special Representative of the Secretary-General Karin Landgren, herself a former senior manager at UNHCR, says UNMIL will continue to support the repatriation of Liberian refugees. “I will say to UNHCR and all UN agencies that you can count on my strong support,” she assures.