REFUGEE COMMUNITY LEADERS URGE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE REFUGEE ACT

Community leaders from the Dzaleka refugee camp have asked authorities in the Ministry of Homeland Security to amend the Refugees Act so that it allows refugees in the country to locally integrate and conduct economic activities.
The call was made on Friday at MANAC in Dowa, on the sidelines of an advocacy training that was facilitated by the catholic commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).
Abdikariim Ismael a Somali community leader from the camp, lamented that restricting refugees’ movement as stipulated in the Refugee Act is negatively affecting the community’s protection needs as the government and its partners can no longer meet the daily demands of refugees’ hence the refugees living in abject poverty.
“It is only the government that can change the law so that refugees should be able to work and secure food and other needs for their families,” said Ismael.
He expressed optimism that the newly introduced Umodzi project by the catholic commission for Justice and peace (CCJP) will help in persuading the government to review the refugees’ act thus aligning the country’s laws with other best practices happening elsewhere in Africa.
On his part, spokesperson in the Ministry of homeland security Patrick Botha commended the catholic commission for Justice and Peace for their project saying it will go in a long way to educate the refugee community on their rights and responsibilities.
Botha says the project will help to deal with some misinformation that has been there in the camp as well as the host community.
Botha also revealed that the government is already in the process of reviewing the Refugees Act.
“Government has on several occasions committed to reviewing the refugees act so that it responds to emerging challenges that refugees are facing,” said Botha
He asked the refugee and host communities to exercise patience saying the process of reviewing the law is tedious and the government has to consult several stakeholders.
Mwai Sandram programs manager for the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace described the meeting as an issue identification process.
Sandram says they wanted to train the community leaders on refugee laws and how they can report on rights violations happening in their community.
“Making sure that people understand the current law is important and key, despite that the law is archaic and does not suit current trends. All that is needed is to push for a review of the law,” said Sandram.
“CCJP will make sure that we work with all partners, more especially the government to learn and understand how to implement changes that will make the law conform to current needs,” added Sandram
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace will be implementing the 40 thousand Canadian dollar Umudzi project for four months at the Dzaleka refugee camp with support from the Canadian government.