With asylum-seekers having access to the same rights and services as refugees in Somalia, the main benefits of formal recognition at the moment relate to support provided by UNHCR, in the form access to subsistence allowance and consideration for resettlement. There is a need to review the use of RSD as a tool where the use of RSD should be confined to resettlement, simultaneously, the subsistence allowance should be overhauled into a more self-reliance assistance.
In Somalia, the government has granted prima facie refugee recognition to people from Yemen, Syria and Palestine, though all other nationalities are required to undergo individual RSD through UNHCR.
UNHCR will continue its effort to use RSD strategically only for those vulnerable cases that resettlement was identified as their sole durable solution and have high chance of being accepted/resettled.
In Puntland and with the adoption of the recent Refugees Act, the authorities have expressed interest in assuming responsibility for status determination. However, this is likely to remain in the hands of UNHCR for some time to come as the transfer of RSD to Puntland government has to be done smoothly and after their capacity is built. The vast majority of asylum-seekers pending RSD come from Ethiopia. Capacity of staff undertaking RSD is low, and the operation does not have sufficient reviewing officers, particularly in Bossaso.
UNHCR will continue its effort to use RSD strategically only for those vulnerable cases that that resettlement was identified as their sole durable solution and have high chance of being accepted/ resettled. Building on the assumption of having full staff capacity, UNHCR will aim at operating level to achieve the target of 300 RSD cases (1,500 individuals) in 2020. Simultaneously with increased capacity in mandate RSD, there will be continuous capacity building throughout 2020 with the local authorities which includes four cycles of workshops. It is envisages there will be staff trainings extensively through RSD interview observation, joint interview, and joint assessment exercise. The subject of training will include of interview technique, inclusion and exclusion analysis, reviewing technique and relevant country of origin information.
In 2019, UNHCR contemplated handing over part of RSD activities to the Puntland government after capacity building was done but the initiative is yet to materialize. In 2020, UNHCR will continue to work with authorities to support the implementation of the Puntland Refugee Protection Law and advocate for a protection sensitive and pragmatic approach to asylum that starts with a shared vision and an agreed way forward, both for the backlog and new arrivals. Initial capacity-building in RSD procedures and other related issues will be provided to Puntland Ministry of Interior (MOI). Advocacy and other awareness-raising will be conducted with local authorities to increase respect for UNHCR-issued documents and also for the issuance of one document for all asylum-seekers with appropriate security features attesting that the individual is of concern to UNHCR (without distinguishing between refugee and asylum-seeker documentation).