Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 01:19:27 +0200
<http://www.tesfanews.net/over-3000-somali-refugees-receive-protection-in-er
itrea/> Over 3000 Somali Refugees Receiving Protection in Eritrea: UNHCR
Posted on 17 April 2014.
By TesfaNews,
ACCORDING to the
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/218790295/UNHCR-ERITREA-Operation-Fact-Sheet-Marc
h-2014> March 2014 fact sheet released by UNHCR Eritrea, over 3000 Somalia
refugees currently living inside the Umkulu refugee camp near the port city
of Massawa while other refugee groups from Sudan and South Sudan lives in
the urban areas getting the required protection and assistance.
The report indicates that the encamped Somali refugees have been in Eritrea
for almost two decades and have not yet found durable solution due to lack
of availability of livelihood opportunities within the camp, lack of
interest in voluntary repatriations as well as problems with the in-country
case-processing mechanisms by resettlement countries such as Canada,
Australia, and USA.
Access to asylum and protection of the State of Eritrea for individual
non-Somali asylum seekers is currently not open. For that, non-Somali groups
enjoy a relatively higher level of socio-economic integration with out being
formally recognized as refugees by the State of Eritrea.
According to UNHCR Eritrea, Somali refugees who are granted prima facie
status by the State of Eritrea enjoys a level of protection that is overall
satisfactory.
Since 2011, however, a reflection on the strategic direction of the UNHCR
operation in Eritrea resulted in reorienting the program provided to Somali
refugees in Eritrea from protracted care and maintenance to solutions,
socio-economic integration and self-reliance.
Following the assessments on a multiyear livelihoods strategy, plan of
action are being developed to improve refugees' stay in Eritrea while
awaiting durable solutions, mainly resettlement and voluntary repatriation
including local integration opportunities.
On 27 March 2014, for instance, a group of 39 Somali refugees (15 cases)
moved to the Emergency Transit Facilities (ETF) in Hummene, Slovakia for
further resettlement processing to the USA. That puts the total resettlement
departures from Umkulu refugee camp for the years 2013 and 2014 at 528
individuals.
In 2012, Eritrea signed the 1969 OAU Convention on the Specific Aspects of
Refugee Problems in Africa but has not yet ratified it. It has also not
acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. State owned
refugee status determination and asylum procedures are not yet in place
either.
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The full report can be found here:
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/218790295/UNHCR-ERITREA-Operation-Fact-Sheet-Marc
h-2014> UNHCR Eritrea
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<http://www.tesfanews.net/over-3000-somali-refugees-receive-protection-in-er
itrea/unhcr-erirea/> UNHCR staff verifying details of Somali refugees in
Emkulu camp, eastern Eritrea
UNHCR staff verifying details of Somali refugees in Emkulu camp, eastern
Eritrea
(image/jpeg attachment: image003.jpg)