Oulanyah calls for review of open-door refugee policy

Kampala. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has questioned the open-door refugee policy, saying it has affected service delivery to the locals.

“The Uganda open-door refugee policy is very ineffective and it has left many of our Ugandans very poor. People are not living their lives like they used to because of the issue of refugees,” Mr Oulanyah said.
He was speaking during a press conference of Centre for Policy Analysis in Kampala on the state of refugees in the country on Wednesday.

“Since 1967, there has not been any modified law created to deal with refugees and that is a big challenge. Policies have to be revised and better legal frameworks set up,” he said.
Mr Oulanyah said the reason Uganda is among countries with the best reception towards refugees is because it has accepted to be a willing victim.

He added that there should be a well-defined system to scrutinise refugees at the border to ensure they stay temporarily.
“These refugees should first meet the full force of the State that should question them and not the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Having answered, they should be handed to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHRC) for documentation. The commission should then discuss with the government on the space they need depending on the number of refugees.

“These refugees should be settled in camps not settlements with the locals because they are not citizens of the country and the camps can be permanent not the occupants.”
He said it is not the responsibility of districts to handle refugees but the State.

MPs respond
Obongi County Hassan Kaps Fungaroo said: “It is the local government that monitors the works, my brother the Deputy Speaker, how can you say that they should not be involved in the decision-making process, that is false sincerely. How do I let people operate on my land without an agreement? No it doesn’t work.”

Mr Fungaroo also said communities play a big part since they accommodate the refugees. He, however, said the issue of refugees has created security challenges to the nation.
“Most are refugees on one side and rebels on the other and that is why it will be very problematic if we just let them in without proper vetting,” he said.

MP for Aringa North County in Yumbe District Onzima Godfrey said the open-door refugee policy is not the real problem but rather the management process.
“Once a health facility is established for refugees, the locals will be the ones to enjoy it when the refugees leave, so I don’t think it’s right that the refugees are put away in camps,” he said. He said with right channels of management, Uganda is able to contain as many refugees as possible.

Buhaguzi County MP Daniel Muhairwe said: “The Memoranda of Understanding between local governments and the UNHRC are needed because it is these people that oversee and handle issues to do with refugees.”

Organisations respond

Office of the Prime Minister.
Mr Gerald Menya, the acting commissioner-in-charge of refugees at the OPM, said:
“So many people have complained that the OPM is doing nothing and maybe that is why the open-door refugee policy is being challenged. I want to tell you that we are trying but we are limited and cannot handle everything.
“We get Shs1 billion every year from the country treasurer but that is petty cash. We also have very few personnel of 26 civil servants and manpower is not enough,” he said.
He said they will need to sit down with the UNHRC and government to budget for the refugees.

UNHRC. The representative for UNHRC, Mr Philippe Kuessan–San Creepy from West Africa, applauded Uganda for embracing the open-door refugee system. “Uganda is doing a great job being the first in Africa and third best in the whole world with accommodation of refugees. We pledge to give you more support as a commission. We cannot leave our brothers and sisters to suffer elsewhere. .....” he said.

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