Government calls for cooperation on refugees affairs

Dar es Salaam. The government has underscored the importance of international cooperation to countries hosting refugees, in a bid to minimize effects of the influx of evacuees.

The statement was made by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Home Affairs Mr Hassan Simba on the weekend, saying the protracted refugees crises are now commonplace with long-term effects even to the host countries.

He was launching the United Nations Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in Tanzania held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center here in the city.

“Large movements of refugees and migrants have political, economic, social, developmental, humanitarian and human rights ramifications, which cross all borders...These are global phenomena that call for global approaches and solutions, no one state can manage such movements on its own’’ said Mr Simba

Currently, Tanzania is home to about 340,000 refugees hosted in three Refugee camps of Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli in Kigoma region for Burundians.

Again, it hosts the remaining 1972 Burundian refugees emanating from the Old Settlements of Katumba, Mishamo (in Katavi) and Ulyankulu (in Tabora), as well as continuing providing asylum, and hosting the new influx of refugees from Burundi and the DRC.

He went on to  explain that, the country is also practicing one of the key aspects envisaged in the Declaration of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework endorsed by the New York Leaders’ Summit on the 20^th September, 2016.

According to him, the government in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) country office have put together efforts for the CRRF launch and interpret the central goal of the comprehensive global approach to address the new perspective of looking at refugee hosting.

‘‘Tanzania is amongst the six countries in Africa, selected for piloting the rolling out of CRRF activities’’ he noted

Tanzania has a history of receiving asylum seekers and hosting refugees since her independence in 1961 and these refugees have been mainly from neighboring countries including from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

‘‘As Tanzania stands by her commitments as stipulated during the Leaders’ Summit, we are also set to collaborate with the International Community to share the burdens and responsibility in a comprehensive and progressive manner’’ he insisted

The event was also attended by regional commissioners from Kigoma Ret Major Gen Emmanuel Maganga, Kagera, Ret Brig Gen Salum Kijuu, and Agrey Mwanri, of Tabora.

Other attendees were the Katavi regional administrative secretary Paul Chagonja, members of Parliament from Kasulu, Kibondo and Kakonko, heads of various diplomatic mission, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and other senior officials.