Inclusion of refugees is key, but creating conditions for repatriation is even better

World Refugee Day was celebrated on Tuesday, June 20. This year, it was marked under the theme; ‘Hope Away from Home’ with an aim of pushing for social inclusion of refugees in their host communities. ALSO READ UNHCR boss on situation of refugees in Rwanda ahead of World Refugee Day When a person has left the comfort of their home to seek refuge elsewhere, it is the last resort for them, meaning they have no other alternative. It is therefore of utmost importance that the host country and communities are as hospitable as possible. Rwandans know better. Decades ago, hundreds of thousands of them were hounded out of their country for no reason, and many of them ended up in exile in all countries surrounding Rwanda. ALSO READ: Rwanda, DR Congo discuss refugee issues Others found themselves in far-flung countries and the experiences vary. But for the vast majority, it was an enduring period of suffering segregation and intolerable derision by communities and governments where they settled. Some were confined to refugee camps with constant threats to deport them back home, where they were undesirables. For others, children were not allowed to pursue education. Nonetheless, the regime back home was keen on keeping them in perpetual suffering, urging the countries hosting them to keep them for good because Rwanda was “already full” and could not take in any more citizens. In other communities, the few Rwandans who by sheer luck had managed to get an education, faced stern limitations when it came to the kind of jobs they could apply for, among other challenges. Eventually, these refugees were able to mobilise their compatriots and the struggle to liberate the country kicked off, which ended in them stopping the Genocide perpetuated by the same regime that had denied Rwandans their right to return home. This past experience has therefore shaped Rwanda’s policy on refugees and asylum seekers who seek shelter and protection in the country and inclusion is one of the key areas of priority. Refugees in Rwanda are part and parcel of national planning. The children are able to go to school and once they graduate, they compete on equal footing like everyone else on the job market. They have also been mainstreamed into different social protection programmes. Nonetheless, however much the country strives to make sure those who seek refuge in Rwanda are as comfortable as the government and its partners can afford, home is always best. On days like these, we are reminded of the plight of refugees like the Congolese citizens who have not seen their homes for close to thirty years, having fled insecurity that has inhibited their country for that long, especially in the eastern part. ALSO READ More Congolese refugees flee to Rwanda as fighting renews Unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight for the violence there, because the government of DR Congo seems keen to scuttle every slight opportunity to a peaceful resolution to the perennial conflict that has prevailed since the mid-1990s.

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Inclusion of refugees is key, but creating conditions for repatriation is even better