Following the influx of August 2017, UNHCR and the Government of Bangladesh embarked on a joint registration exercise in order to consolidate registration data for the Rohingya population and issue documentation for all refugees, including previously unregistered refugees who entered Bangladesh following the 1992 cut-off date for registration.
The exercise is facilitating the creation of a unified database with a consistent unique global individual and family identifier for all Rohingya refugees thereby providing a mechanism for pursuing protection and assistance activities efficiently and ensuring that those with protection needs are prioritised for interventions. The data is also used, when consent is provided, to verify the right of return of refugees with the Myanmar authorities, thereby helping to facilitate future solutions. The exercise is expected to be completed in 2019, after which continuous updating of information will be required. The registration exercise marks a landmark achievement; providing documentation to a stateless population, many of whom for the first time, and providing protection against refoulement in Bangladesh, whilst stating the country of origin of a population whose origins are contested by Myanmar.
Once completed the registration data must be continually updated. Thus, mechanisms for continuous data updates and systematic partner access are required to support credible and verifiable assistance distribution, protection and solutions interventions and targeted assistance. As such, in 2020 three registration sites will be maintained in order to facilitate access to registration services for refugees, such as family composition updates and replacement of documentation. ProGres v4 will be rolled out in late 2019, and therefore Government, staff and partners will be trained on using the database for protection and assistance purposes, including referrals. The Global Distribution Tool (GDT) which will be rolled out in certain camps in 2019, will be up scaled to cover all camps and will be used to facilitate assistance delivery through relevant partners and by providing access to proGres in line with data protection policies. In addition, components of the Population Registration and Identity Management Ecosystem (PRIMES) will be rolled out to integrate refugee data into civil registration systems and to other systems used by partners (WFP’s SCOPE and UNICEF’s PRIMERO).
In line with placing refugees at the center of protection initiatives, refugees will be encouraged to participate in the use and updating of their data through self-service applications and authorities and partners will be enabled to authenticate identity documents provided through a mobile application.
At the comprehensive level, extended analysis and profiling will be conducted and utilised for strategic protection and solutions planning and advocacy. In the process gap identification and information for targeted assistance, protection and solutions will be improved.
As a priority UNHCR will maintain four joint registration centres for continuous data updating and supporting NFI distribution. All data will be migrated to proGres v4 for use in case management, protection and solutions; the GDT rollout will be scaled up to all camps and data sharing protocols with partners will be developed. The four registration sites will be upgraded to protection service hubs where refugees can update their particulars, but also receive information on civil registration, referral mechanisms and other protection services. Finally, profiling data will be used to assist in strategic advocacy and protection monitoring analysis.