Results and impact: The directive of the Government to release all persons registered with UNHCR continues to be respected and persons of concern are systematically released upon verification by UNHCR. This, coupled with extensive awareness sessions on the importance of documentation carried out by UNHCR, has resulted in a significant drop in the arrests of registered refugees and asylum-seekers. Despite an increase of 18 per cent of the refugee population from 2013, the estimated percentage of those who are arrested stood at around 8 per cent against a refugee population of 151,469. That translates to around 139,298 persons of concern effectively benefiting from lower risks of detention and increased freedom of movement.
In 2014, the UNHCR call centre issued a total of 5,791 letters to law enforcement authorities verifying the status of people of concern to UNHCR (highest average of 482 per month). The numbers of letters issued have doubled since 2012 when a total of 2,599 letters were issued (average of 217 per month).
Unmet needs: Owing to the prevalence of fraudulent UNHCR documentation in circulation, UNHCR received 966 requests for verification of persons arrested for possession of fraudulent documents. 1,690 persons were arrested for possession of fraudulent UNHCR documentation and were then charged in court for immigration related offences. Most of these persons could be of concern to UNHCR, but due to UNHCR’s limited capacity to conduct registration, they may have inadvertently resorted to purchasing fraudulent UNHCR documentation to secure some degree of protection from arrest and gain access to employment opportunities.
Due to limited resources, UNHCR did not have the necessary capacity to intervene in these court cases, conduct prison visits and verify whether the individuals are persons of concern to UNHCR. More staff are needed to carry out training sessions on UNHCR documentation and refugee protection for law enforcement authorities. In addition, more large-scale capacity-building initiatives need to be undertaken for police and immigration officers.