Mozambique is no longer preferred refugee destination
(AIM) – Mozambique’s National Institute for Refugee Support (INAR) revealed on Tuesday that the country has become the least preferred destination for refugees, in particular those coming from the countries of the Great Lakes region (Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia).
Large number of people from these countries use to come to Mozambique, fleeing civil wars and famine. But that is no longer the case.
According to the INAR Director, Cremildo Abreu, who was addressing reporters at a joint press conference with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, during the passage of World Refugee Day, celebrated every 20 June, figures show that there is a reduction of new arrivals and an increase in the number of refugees leaving the country, particularly the Maratane Refugee Centre, in the northern province of Nampula. The number of refugees accommodated at Maratane fell by 51 percent over the last six years.
“The departures that have been witnessed in recent years fall under the implementation of durable solutions by the Government and partners, including voluntary repatriation of refugees, resettlement in third countries, and their integration into communities”, he said, adding that “over the last three years, the Maratane Refugee Centre has not received any request for asylum and this year, it has not yet received even one refugee.”
Abreu also said that voluntary repatriation stems from the improvement of security conditions in the countries of origin, while resettlement in other countries is carried out at the request of the refugees and is aided by UNHCR.
“The Refugee Statute is a right of that social group and ensures that the Government has responded to the requests submitted, whether satisfactorily or not. However, there is a slowness that has characterized these processes of reintegration”, he said.
Regarding requests for nationality, Abreu said that all processes take place through certain procedures, which is why the response may not arrive with the desired flexibility.
“The Government supports refugees in accessing education and health care, and allows them to enter the national territory and we are pleased to see that life is going on safely”, added Abreu. He pointed out that, although there is a decline in the number of people looking for refuge in Mozambique, there are many still illegal immigrants using Mozambique as a corridor to reach South Africa.
(AIM)
