Zambia threatens to deport ex-Rwandan refugees

0

The Zambian government said on Thursday that it may be forced to deport former Rwandese refugees if they fail to get passports from their country for the smooth implementation of a local integration program. wpid-africa-sudan-juba-khartoum-IOM-refugees-05152012.jpg
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Panji Kaunda said the country’s laws were clear as they do not allow people to stay in the country without legal documents and has since ordered the former refugees to obtain passports being offered by their country or face deportation, according to state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.
Zambia currently hosts about 4,000 former Rwandese refugees at two refugee camps in western and northwest part of the country.
The Rwandese, who have living in Zambia after fleeing from civil strife in their country, forfeited their refugee status on June 30, 2013 and the two governments have been working on measures to embark on a voluntary repatriation exercise and to integrate those who want continue residing in Zambia.
The Zambian minister, in remarks delivered at a tripartite meeting involving the two governments and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, said Zambia will have no option but to deport the former refugees if they continue being stubborn on the need to get relevant documents.
The Zambian minister further asked the Rwandan government to waive passport fees to them affordable for the former refugees who were resisting returning home.
But Rwandese Minister for Disaster Mitigation and Refugees Seraphine Mukantabana said her government will not waive passport fees and directed the former refugees to return home since the genocide ended 20 years ago.
Meanwhile, Laura Castro, the UNHCR Representative in Zambia urged the former Rwandese refugees to take advantage of the good will being offered by the two governments to make informed decisions and return home.
The passports are required as part of the process for the local integration program in order to confirm the former refugees’ nationality.
Zambia is also conducting a local integration program of former Angola refugees in which it has offered to integrate about 10,000 former refugees into communities.
Zambia currently hosts over 50,000 refugees mainly from Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Somalia. Enditem

Source: Xinhua

Send your news stories to [email protected] Follow News Ghana on Google News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here