West Africa: boat reported to have arrived in Togo

The boat carrying around 150 Liberians, some of whom may be asylum-seekers, has reportedly arrived in Lomé, Togo. UNHCR has requested permission from the Togolese authorities to allow its staff to board the vessel, interview the passengers and determine their status and possible claims for asylum. UNHCR was told last night that the boat, which was experiencing some technical problems, had been allowed to dock at the Lomé port. UNHCR remains very concerned about the situation of people on the boat. The ship has been stranded off the West African coast for nearly two weeks. It left Benin on Monday evening after being denied permission to dock. Last week, the Liberians on the boat were refused entry into Ghana.