Govt grants residential permits to Angolan refugees

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Govt grants residential permits to Angolan refugees

Lusaka, 29th August, 2014, ZANIS —–  Government has granted 11 former Angolan refugees permanent residency permits which marks the beginning of its process of seeing 10,000 others allowed to permanently live in the country.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nickson Chilangwa has urged the former refugees who have qualified for local integration to continue abiding by the law.

He expressed Zambia’s commitment to the local integration and commended the government of Denmark, Japan, Canada and United States for contributing funds to the program.

Mr. Chilangwa has since called on other donors to come forward in supporting the program by funding socio-economic development in the hosting and resettlement areas.

 

ZANIS reports that the deputy minister said when he presented the 11 permits to the Angolans during a ceremony held at his ministry in Lusaka today.

And Mr. Chilangwa yesterday presented letters of offer for land to some former Angolan refugees eligible for local integration at Maheba refugee settlement in Solwezi North Western province .

And UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, T. Alexander Aleinikoff has welcomed the development and described it as very important in moving the local integration program forward.

Mr. Aleinikoff said the development is a landmark in bringing hope and consolidating lasting solutions for the former refugees who have opted to remain in Zambia after the end of the voluntary repatriation.

He has however urged the Angolan and Zambian governments to scale-up the process of necessary documentation for the issuance of the residency permits to eligible Angolans adding that UNHCR will offer its full support.

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