On Friday, Zambia marked a significant milestone with the launch of its inaugural national refugee policy, signaling a concerted effort to enhance the overall management of refugees within the country.
Jack Mwiimbu, the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, underscored the policy’s formulation as a strategic response to alleviate challenges and elevate the standard of refugee management. He highlighted the extensive nationwide consultations that informed the policy’s development, emphasizing its role in providing essential guidance and clarity on refugee management.
Expressing optimism, Mwiimbu anticipated a positive resolution to various challenges faced by refugees in Zambia, foreseeing the policy’s potential impact on facilitating the integration of refugees into society and their subsequent contributions to the economy.
Furthermore, the minister emphasized that the policy offers practical solutions to the diverse problems confronting refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals of concern within the country.
Preeta Law, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Zambia, commended the government’s initiative in crafting the policy. She characterized it as a manifestation of Zambia’s commitment to fostering the integration of refugees and their meaningful contributions to the nation’s development. Law assured that the UNHCR would collaborate with the government, leveraging its global expertise to implement best practices in refugee management
