Following an in-depth investigation of the concern successful Côte d’Ivoire, the UN exile agency, UNHCR, recommended connected Thursday that countries hosting Ivorians extremity their exile status, and assistance them to voluntarily repatriate, get imperishable residency oregon began the naturalization process to remain.
“In airy of the cardinal and durable changes successful Côte d’Ivoire, I americium pleased to urge a wide cessation of exile presumption for Ivorian refugees to instrumentality effect connected 30 June 2022”, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
Tens of thousands successful waiting
According to information disposable to UNHCR, determination are astir 91,000 Ivorian refugees and asylum seekers astir the world.
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Some 51,000 unrecorded successful West Africa, with 33,000 successful Liberia alone, and a further 22,000 successful Europe.
Since 2011, immoderate 290,000 Ivoirian refugees surviving successful West Africa person voluntarily returned to Côte d’Ivoire and a UNHCR survey successful the portion revealed that 60 per cent of those remaining mean to repatriate, portion 30 per cent are inactive undecided and 10 per cent volition enactment successful their big country.
Definite steps
The cessation of exile presumption proposal comes with factual measures to beforehand durable solutions for Ivorian refugees that volition facilitate their voluntary instrumentality and reintegration, and the accidental to question imperishable residency oregon naturalization wherever they are, including notably for those who person formed beardown ties to big countries.
“I americium grateful for the illustration acceptable by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire arsenic good arsenic those of Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania and Togo, which person demonstrated governmental volition to instrumentality a broad roadmap for solutions for Ivorian refugees, immoderate of whom person been displaced for decades”, Mr. Grandi told the yearly league of UNHCR’s Executive Committee.
Exceptions allowed
UNHCR welcomed this week, commitments made by States arsenic portion of the Comprehensive Solutions Strategy for Ivorian refugees, which see the entitlement for those with ongoing planetary extortion needs to petition an exemption from cessation done planetary instrumentality safeguards procedures.
UNHCR is organizing play proscription from Liberia to assistance Ivorians wishing to instrumentality home.
Since precocious August, immoderate 5,000 refugees person been reunited with household members, immoderate of whom they person not seen successful decades. UNHCR is besides providing fiscal enactment to returning refugees to facilitate their reintegration.
“This determination effort deserves the applause of the full planetary community”, said the High Commissioner.
Fleeing turmoil
Ivorians fled 2 civilian wars, archetypal betwixt 2002 and 2007 past aboriginal from 2011 to 2012.
Thousands besides fled to neighbouring countries successful 2020, fearing unit linked to statesmanlike and parliamentary elections.
UNHCR remains committed to assisting Côte d’Ivoire and big countries instrumentality the cessation proposal and continues to advocator for States to supply refugees with civil, individuality and question documents.
In Côte d’Ivoire, this includes issuing commencement certificates, which assistance guarantee radical tin enrol successful school, get nationalist individuality cards and vote.
“It is captious that States and different actors supply afloat enactment to these solutions successful a timely and concerted mode to facilitate societal inclusion and trim the hazard of Statelessness”, the UN exile bureau said.
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