The received wisdom dictates three potential durable solutions for refugees: (1) Voluntary repatriation; (2) resettlement to a third country; and (3) local integration in the country of asylum, often through the grant of citizenship. This paper focuses on the last of these three solutions, with a particular focus on acquisition of citizenship in Uganda......... It is hoped that concerted pressure from the refugee community and its supporters will ensure that those who have spent over twenty years in Uganda, and have begun to call it home, will be given the opportunity to become citizens. No one should be forced to live indefinitely in the inexorable limbo of refugee status.
Reports by Access to Justice for Forced Migrants
Aside from working papers and seminars the RLP produces a range of publications for multiple purposes. The research is targeted at a range of audiences (eg academia, government officials or the public) and aims to produce information quickly on time-sensitive issues. These result in special reports compiled either through individual consultancies or for external publications, including briefing notes that represent immediate but preliminary observations from the field, letters sent to the national newspapers or advocacy briefs that attempt to bring attention to specific thematic areas.
Uganda hosts many refugees who have been in the country for more than 20 years, and in some cases in excess of 40 years. Refugee Law Project estimates that they number in the thousands, and are of primarily Sudanese, Congolese and Rwandese origin. Some have spent their entire lives here, raised families here, and consider Uganda their home. However, up until now they have not been provided with the opportunity to legally become Ugandan. This briefing paper will explain how the law provides refugees with the opportunity to become citizens. Unfortunately, while the law is clear, the reality is that the government has not yet implemented the necessary procedures.
The Refugee Law Project (RLP) Legal Aid and Counseling (LAC) Department conducted in-depth interviews in Mid March 2007 with refugees living in the Camp, with the neighbouring host community local leaders, government and UN officials and NGO staff working in the settlement.
The following represents findings related to the most salient issues that emerged from the visit to Rhino Refugee Settlement Camp, Arua and will be followed by a more in-depth analysis in report form. This preliminary document is circulated so asto inform the key stakeholders of the issues that prevailed in Rhino Refugee Settlement Camp in the face of the ongoing repatriation at the time of the visit. Feel free to write back any comments on this paper within the time space of two weeks from date of receipt as a final report will be circulated in this regard and uploaded on our website.
Protection in Practice Background Paper, Humanitarian Policy Group (Overseas Development Institute), December 2006. Chris Dolan & Lucy Hovil
Disclaimer: This report has been commissioned by the HPG. The opinions expressed herein are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Humanitarian Policy Group or of the Overseas Development Institute.
This brief represents preliminary findings on three of the most salient issues that emerged from the visit to Arua: village structure and vulnerable groups, education and early marriage, and repatriation. It will be followed by a more in-depth Working Paper once the research data collected over the course of the four trips has been analysed. This briefing was circulated to key stakeholders for comment prior to its publication on our website.
The RLP conducted over 200 in-depth interviews in Arua District in late July and early August 2006, some with self-settled refugees living in Arua town and the majority with refugees living in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement. Government officials and UN and NGO staff working in the settlement and in Arua and Rhino Camp towns were also interviewed. This brief represents preliminary findings related to three of the most salient issues that emerged from the visit to Arua, and will be followed by a more in-depth analysis once all the field studies have been completed. An earlier draft of this document has been circulated to a number of key stakeholders for preliminary comment. However, the RLP welcomes any further comment which can inform our final research output.
