Latest News

Repatriation from Kenya to southern Sudan picks up steam

Since the launch of UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme from Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp to south Sudan last December, the pace of returns has increased. Almost 1,300 Sudanese have gone home from this one centre.

7 Jun 2006

UNHCR offers voluntary repatriation to Angolan refugees in South Africa

The UN refugee agency and the government of South Africa launch a campaign to inform Angolan refugees that 2006 will be the last year UNHCR will assist those who wish to repatriate from South Africa.

11 May 2006

UNHCR suspends repatriation to parts of South Sudan in wake of increased insecurity

UNHCR has suspended its repatriation programme to parts of South Sudan following heavy fighting in Yambio over the weekend and a deadly attack on its compound in Yei by armed intruders last Wednesday. A review of the security situation for returning refugees and UNHCR staff is underway.

21 Mar 2006

Angolan peace-building efforts shift from repatriation to reintegration

Angolans across the country are working together to build a common future after the devastation of nearly three decades of war. Reflecting this, the work of UNHCR is shifting from repatriating the hundreds of thousands of Angolans who fled the war, to helping them reintegrate with those who stayed behind.

16 Mar 2006

First Afghan families leave Pakistan as repatriation season resumes

The UN refugee agency's fifth season of assisted returns to Afghanistan from Pakistan started this week after the winter break. Some 400,000 Afghans are expected to repatriate to Afghanistan this year, the last year of UNHCR-assisted returns under the current tripartite agreement with the two governments.

3 Mar 2006

UNHCR's Angola repatriation operation draws to a close with last flight

After more than three years, UNHCR's repatriation operation to bring home Angolans living in exile during the country's 27-year-long war, has drawn to a close with a last flight of returnees from Botswana. An estimated half a million Angolans have returned to their war-ravaged country since the peace accords were signed in April 2002, some 123,000 with UNHCR assistance.

20 Dec 2005

UNHCR-organised repatriation to South Sudan starts

A white bull was slaughtered, children sang and danced, women ululated and men pounded drums in celebration as a group of South Sudanese refugees went home over the weekend in the first UNHCR-organized repatriation for those who fled Sudan's 21-year-long civil war.

19 Dec 2005

South Sudan repatriation to start Saturday, says UNHCR

The long-awaited organized repatriation operation for refugees from South Sudan will kick off on Saturday, when one group of refugees will return home by plane, and another will travel overland, from Kakuma camp in northern Kenya. Up to half a million refugees from South Sudan, currently living in six neighbouring countries, could eventually benefit from the operation.

13 Dec 2005

UNHCR emergency teams bolster repatriation efforts in South Sudan

Three UNHCR emergency teams landed in South Sudan this week, as the agency builds up its presence in advance of what is potentially a huge repatriation operation to an area devastated by 21 years of civil war.

17 Nov 2005

New repatriation programme launched, as ferry takes Congolese home to South Kivu

A group of some 500 Congolese returned this week by ferry to their home province of South Kivu, where they were welcomed by a jubilant crowd, as the UN refugee agency followed up a series of successful pilot operations by launching its full organized repatriation programme from Tanzania.

11 Nov 2005