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The Government of Rwanda and the UN Refugee Agency launch a joint verification exercise of refugees and asylum seekers residing in Rwanda

The Government of Rwanda and the UN Refugee Agency launch a joint verification exercise of refugees and asylum seekers residing in Rwanda

9 February 2018

Kigali, Rwanda - The Government of Rwanda through the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugees (MIDIMAR), the National Identification Agency (NIDA), and Immigration together with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have today launched a joint verification exercise of refugees and asylum seekers residing in Rwanda for the purpose of updating information and verifying their physical presence in the country through biometric data. This will positively impact refugees by giving them greater access to identity documents which will facilitate their ability to access Government services, employability and to move more freely in the country and abroad.

 

Rwanda has committed in last year's Leaders' Summit on Refugees convened by then US President Obama to integrate refugees in the Government health insurance (urban refugees), education, documentation services and promotion of inclusion of refugees through the joint Rwanda- UNHCR livelihoods strategy. By sharing of refugee data, the Government and UNHCR can plan properly for this integration.

Registration of refugees and asylum-seekers in Rwanda is a joint activity between the Government and UNHCR. Both parties adjudicate registration cases, make joint decisions on eligibility for registration and collect individualized basic biodata together. Updated information and documentation will allow for better protection and assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers in Rwanda, but also will contribute to better planning by the Government, UNHCR and relevant stakeholders dealing with refugees.

In May of 2017, the Government of Rwanda and UNHCR signed an agreement governing sharing of data on identity of refugees in Rwanda, which has set the stage for the joint verification exercise in Rwanda. The verification exercise is scheduled to start with urban refugees in Kigali and Huye before moving to the six refugee camps. UNHCR welcomes this progressive move by the Government which will lead to better refugee management, protection and assistance.