We found inflated refugee numbers but we know why

The Uganda government of Uganda and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, wish to give the progress on the status of hosting refugees in the country and, particularly, claims that refugee numbers may not be accurate.
The verification exercise is in its fourth month. Close cooperation between the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and UNHCR has enabled a fairly smooth verification process. With over 450,000 refugees verified to date, we can draw preliminary conclusions from the results so far.
However, we would like to clarify the context that led to the verification exercise. The issue of refugee figures has been a recurrent concern for the Government, UNHCR, the World Food Programme and partners.
Concerns started to arise during the mass influx of refugees from South Sudan. The sheer speed and scale of that influx demanded concerted action by the Government and all of its partners, with the support of the donor community, to scale up emergency response operations to prevent loss of life. It was, and still remains, a children’s emergency with most households headed by women. Every day more vulnerable people arrived with very little or nothing, and settled in overcrowded makeshift sites. In a short space of time, nine new settlements were established to receive and protect refugees and ensure they had basic shelter and acceptable living conditions. This inevitably stretched the resources and capacities of all actors beyond endurance.
Although actors in the refugee response were conscious that figures might be problematic, the priority at the time was to save lives. After noticing a number of weaknesses in the refugee registration system and later receiving reports containing allegations of corruption by officials and aid workers, the Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda and the UNHCR Filippo Grandi ordered a verification of the refugee population registered in the Government Refugee Information Management System (RIMS). They also promptly instituted investigations into the other allegations.
The government decided to use the system developed by UNHCR until the verification exercise is completed by end of year, while continuing to first register in the Government registration system, RIMS, new refugees who enter the country with new-born babies as options for a long-term solution are identified.
The Biometric Information Management System (BIMS) has proved its efficiency in similar refugee contexts of mass displacement in eliminating possible double or triple counting. By using photos, fingerprints and iris scans of all verified refugees, BIMS allows stricter prevention of potential identity fraud.
The biometric verification exercise is taking place in a fluid and complex operating context, with new arrivals concurrently crossing into Uganda from South Sudan, DR Congo and Burundi. A major logistical operation is receiving and transferring refugees through 18 border points, collection points and transit facilities to different settlements on an ongoing basis.
We wish to highlight the following issues emerging since the verification exercise was launched on 1 March 2018:
Refugees verified in Nakivale Settlement in South West Uganda, one of the most populous in the country, showed a slight decrease compared to figures contained in RIMS. The verified population was 94,331 against the previous figure of 104,180 representing a 9% drop. This is within what is considered acceptable when verifying refugees, taking into account deaths, spontaneous departures and persons who may simply not show up.
In some settlements in West Nile region, where refugees are predominantly from South Sudan, there is a marked decrease in numbers that were verified. In Imvepi Settlement 53,856 refugees were verified against a RIMS figure of 127,325 representing a 58% drop. While it is premature to draw well-reasoned conclusions, several factors can at partially explain such a decrease:
a. The globally acclaimed policy of the Ugandan Government allowing free movement of refugees in the country makes it difficult to account for people who may be regularly on the move. The verification is currently confined to the refugee settlements and does not cover the entire country.
b. Given the increasing presence of refugees in towns, the Government is undertaking a survey of urban refugees in refugee-hosting districts in close cooperation with UNHCR.
c. Some limited return movement or constant cross-border movements may have impacted the results of the verification although not in a substantial manner. Information we have about refugees’ places of origin does not point to major spontaneous return as the situation is still tense and volatile.
d. Cases of double or triple registration identified through BIMS may have contributed substantially to inflating refugee figures. Such a situation would have been facilitated by the continuous arrival of large numbers of South Sudanese refugees over an extended period as explained earlier, which put the registration system and associated Government personnel under intense pressure.
We are investigating other forms of miscalculation that may have taken place. We wish to reiterate the zero tolerance policies of both Government and the United Nations towards any form of fraud or misconduct. We have strengthened feedback mechanisms to enable refugees to confidentially report real or suspected incidents. All reports are taken seriously and investigated confidentially by competent authorities.
As the verification exercise progresses, we are drawing lessons and considering the implications that an overall increase or decrease in numbers may have in terms of protection of refugees in Uganda. The verification exercise should pave the way for more focused and targeted assistance, based on reliable data. The planned assessment of refugee presence in urban areas will, for example, mitigate risks that people deserving the protection of the State could fall between the cracks.
As mentioned early, registration data will continue to be updated as more refugees arrive. The integrity of the registration systems and those who manage them must never be called into question again. Other unintended consequences will be further analysed and progress shared with the public.

Compiled by Eng. Hilary Onek, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees; Mr Musa Ecweru, Minister of State, Relief and Disaster Preparedness and Joel Boutroue, a representative of the UNHCR in Uganda