In comparison to 2016, this population planning group will include in 2017 urban and rural refugees in DRC and Gabon, Rwandan refugees in DRC and a small number in Gabon and South Sudanese in DRC. Planned figures for these groups of populations are the following: 245,085 Rwandan refugees (DRC 245,052 and Gabon 33); 172,572 urban refugees and asylum seekers from several nationalities including 2,884 in Gabon; and 11,120 South Sudanese in DRC.
In both countries DRC and Gabon, refugees in urban settings are facing several difficulties. Challenges include arbitrary arrests, unemployment due to their refugee status, cases of SGBV (mainly women and girls), high level of vulnerability which sometimes obliges young girls to practice survival sex. Also access to decent housing continues to be a challenge. In terms of education, some difficulties for refugee students are observed in secondary school and university level as UNHCR’s support is very limited and families do noy have enough resources. As consequence, the drop-out rate is very high. Young refugees are sometimes obliged to engage themselves in developing coping mechanisms and search for livelihood opportunities. In DRC, the main challenges faced by refugees in rural areas are on one hand, access to natural resources including arable lands for farming and on the other hand, the negative attitude of host communities due to historical reasons vis-à-vis Rwandan and South Sudanese refugees.
Regarding RSD progresses, in 2015, the CNR in DRC examined 3,765 cases (out of a total of 10,111) of asylum seekers and 154 cases by CNR Gabon. However, an important backlog remains notably in Gabon where about 943 cases of asylum seekers have been in standby for more than 10 years. CNR does not have the capacity to deal with this caseload due to insufficient staffing and equipment. A strong support of UNHCR is required to increase the number of files examined. In DRC, despite the good standard in RSD procedures reached by the Eligibility Committee and the Appeal Board, the duration of the process for individual asylum requests is still high (average 2 years). In that regards, UNHCR continues to reinforce capacities of the authorities on RSD procedures in DRC and Gabon through formal trainings and implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The comprehensive strategy for durable solutions for Rwandan refugee has been drafted in DRC. These documents have been shared with the HQ and will be discussed with the Congolese Government in 2016. In the meantime, in DRC UNHCR facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 5,204 Rwandan refugees in 2015. Furthermore, after a long period of standby, the suspension of the biometric registration of Rwandan refugees in North Kivu province was lifted by the Government in March 2016 while the operation is still ongoing in South Kivu province. To date, 32,052 Rwandan refugees were recorded and documented. This will allow the biometric registration to be finalized by June 2016. In Gabon, the comprehensive strategy of durable solutions for protracted caseloads such as Chadian refugees has not been finalized yet. However, UNHCR conducted in 2015 an intention of return survey among the refugee population. Only 3 per cent have manifested their willingness to return voluntarily in their country of origin.
As a response to the influx of 11,120 South Sudanese refugees in Dungu territory, Haut-Uele province, UNHCR finalized the level II registration exercise in close collaboration with the CNR early March 2016. Emergency assistance has been provided to them with the support of other partners (PAM and MSF). In accordance to the principle of alternative to camps, a draft of the protection strategy was elaborated and is under discussion with the government.
UNHCR intensified the search for durable solutions in 2015 and 2016 for some groups of refugees such as Congolese (RoC) living in Kimaza camp and Mbanza Ngungu (Kinshasa) and other protection cases by processing their resettlement. 179 cases have been submitted for resettlement in 2015.
2017