Operations

Operational context and population trends

The situation in Mozambique has been marked by sustained economic growth (7.5 %). However concerns are growing about public debt levels and future economic prospects for investment, due to the decline of global commodity prices, including oil, gas and coal.

• Heightened security issues continue to affect the country as a result of armed violence and increased political tensions between the Government and the opposition
• Mozambique is committed to strengthening local integration prospects for refugees; however mixed migration flows continue to present a challenge for Mozambique, which remains both a destination and a transit country for southward movements, in particular for Somalis and Ethiopians
• In the absence of alternative migration channels, the Government has continued to use the refugee camp to transfer intercepted Ethiopians transiting through Mozambique, which increases pressure on camp infrastructures and services.

Key priorities in 2016

UNHCR will continue to implement the strategy developed in 2014, working with the Government of Mozambique, donors, the UN country team, civil society organizations and beneficiaries to provide enhanced protection and assistance to people of concern. The following outputs are expected:

• Strengthen existing and establish new strategic partnerships, particularly with the private sector, to create a more enabling and sustainable environment for local integration
• Support the Government on a phased five-year approach to progressively handing over camp services to the Government Move towards direct assistance in kind/cash or voucher, targeting only to the most vulnerable individuals through the existing social protection cash voucher programme
• Sustain Government support for protection documentation (e.g. asylum-seeker ID cards, biometrics, machine readable convention travel documents (MRCTDs), naturalization and diplomas)
• Encouraging development actors to include refugees in existing provincial/district programmes
• Support the Government with the implementation of the refugee status determination (RSD) backlog project, launched in 2014
• Provide eligible refugees with support to obtain alternative legal status or naturalization through the inter-ministry technical working group on local integration.