Atuguba et al. 25 confirm their possession or the validity of the documents. For those in possession of national identity cards or national passports, it was generally observed that the documents were expired. Furthermore, some respondents indicated they had only copies but not the originals of the documentation. Of the 115 individuals possessing Togolese nationality documentation, 100 claimed to have a birth certificate. Of those 100, just 50 stated they also had an additional document. Some 15 respondents claimed to possess a nationality document other than a birth certificate. Given the limited documentation in Togolese refugees’ possession, it will be particularly important that, when cessation is implemented, due consideration is given to ensuring that they can access nationality documentation and be educated on the consequences of failing to obtain nationality documentation. with the government of their country of origin. In the aforementioned 2015 UNHCR survey, one of the reasons for respondents who chose naturalization as a preferred durable solution was that they would not have to obtain a nationality document from Togo to do so. The main reason why survey respondents were unwilling to request nationality documents from the Togolese government was that they feared being targeted should they have contact with the Togolese authorities. Indefinite residence often leads to a durable legal status in Ghana, while the accompanying issuance of a nationality document from the country of origin provides proof of nationality. Doh is a 31-year-old man who was born in Togo to a Togolese father and a Ghanaian mother. His birth was not registered. Following the death of his father, his mother brought him to Ghana. He has no documentation that confirms his nationality. His mother does not have any documentation confirming her nationality either. As a result, Doh is at risk of being stateless. (Interview with Doh, a Togolese refugee) One other population at risk of statelessness is residents of border communities in Ghana. The Ghana Immigration Service identifies about 42 border communities. Ghana shares borders to the east with Togo, to the west with Côte d’Ivoire, and to the north with Burkina Faso. The Atlantic Ocean is to the south of Ghana. There are three main customs entry points in Ghana, namely, Aflao, Elubo, and Paga, representing Ghana’s border with Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, respectively. There are two additional customs points between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, namely, Oseekodwokrom and Gonnokuram. Another recognized entry point between Ghana and Burkina Faso is at Hamile in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Travel to and from Ghana through unapproved borders may also increase the risk of statelessness. There is the need for effective border control and protection to ensure that authorized persons enter the country and that those who do enter the country continue to have the requisite documentation to live in the country. Passage through properly designated border posts usually requires the possession of valid travel documentation. Persons from ECOWAS member countries, pursuant to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons, do not need a visa to travel into or out of Ghana, but they nevertheless need to possess a valid identity card. By the operation of the jus sanguinis principle, two immigrants from countries that practice jus soli, neither of whom is a citizen of Ghana, who give birth to a child in Ghana may risk having such a child becoming stateless, since she would be neither a citizen of Ghana nor For refugees who lack nationality documentation, durable solutions must give due consideration to ensuring refugees obtaining solutions do not face a risk of statelessness in the future. For refugees who do not wish to return to their country of origin, local integration in Ghana may be an option. Both naturalization and indefinite residence status — resulting in country of origin nationality documents — would eliminate the risk of statelessness. Naturalization would bestow a new citizenship (Ghanaian) on the refugee, also ending their refugee situation: [I]t is the most durable and often most desirable long-term solution for recognized refugees wishing to end their refugee status and integrate in their host country. Indeed, while refugee status offers certain guarantees, refugees continue to be vulnerable in that they lack an effective nationality. (UNHCR 2006) While naturalization in Ghana requires identification documents, it is an open question whether naturalization could provide an opportunity for refugees to gain Ghanaian nationality documents without having to interact Residents of Border Communities in Ghana