Nicaragua: Update to Response to Information Request NIC21695.E of 7 September 1995 on the treatment of failed asylum seekers, and information on special government programmes to assist repatriated Nicaraguans
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | NIC24301.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nicaragua: Update to Response to Information Request NIC21695.E of 7 September 1995 on the treatment of failed asylum seekers, and information on special government programmes to assist repatriated Nicaraguans, 1 August 1996, NIC24301.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aafe3f.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Response to Information Request NIC22112.E of 16 October 1995, available in your Regional Documentation Centre, contains a letter dated 10 October 1995 from the UNHCR on the above-mentioned subject, which is attached to this Response. The UNCHR indicates in the letter that in October 1995 they had no current information regarding the treatment of failed asylum seekers upon their return to Nicaragua, and that they were not "aware of any cases of persecution of returnees" (UNCHR 10 Oct. 1995).
The DIRB was unable to find any references to special government programmes to assist repatriated Nicaraguans among the sources consulted. It may however be of interest to note that the UNHCR in 1990 developed Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in Nicaragua, "rapidly-executed, short-term impact microdevelopment projects in returnee communities" (UNHCR 10 Oct. 1995), as they believed traditional development institutions, including the Nicaraguan government, would not be of assistance in the short-term
(UNHCR 1995, 3-4).
The United States Department of State mentions in a June 1996 report that occasionally Nicaraguan refugee claimants in the United States say they fear Sandinistas occupying powerful positions and government members, as Sandinistas and government members "regard those who left the country as traitors" (OAA June 1996, 7). The report notes that, nonetheless, tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have returned to the country since 1990 and live there without incident (ibid.). Further, the United States Department of State indicates that they were not aware of any 1995 reports of political violence against returning emigrés (ibid., 8). However, according to the report, claims involving returnees who allege they have been threatened or harmed by Sandinistas upon attempting to regain property seized by Sandinistas, may be true (ibid., 11). One would have to determine whether or not returnees' actions were or are likely to be perceived as threatening to Sandinistas (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below a list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. June 1996. Nicaragua - Profile of Asylum Claims & Country Conditions. Washington, DC: United States Department of State.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ottawa. 10 October 1995. Letter sent to the DIRB.
_____, Geneva. 1995. Facing The Challenge Of Repatriation In Nicaragua: Quick Impact Projects. Managua: UNHCR.
Attachments
Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. June 1996. Nicaragua - Profile of Asylum Claims & Country Conditions. Washington, DC: United States Department of State, pp. 7-11.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ottawa. 10 October 1995. Letter sent to the DIRB.
_____, Geneva. 1995. Facing The Challenge Of Repatriation In Nicaragua: Quick Impact Projects. Managua: UNHCR, pp. 3-4.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International. 1996. Amnesty International Report 1996.
Central America Newspak [Austin, Tex.]. September 1995 to present.
Central America Report [Guatemala City]. September 1995 to present.
DIRB and UNHCR databases.
Refugee Reports [Brentwood, Tenn.]. September 1995 to present.
DIRB country file on Nicaragua. September 1995 to present.
Réfugiés [Geneva]. September 1995 to present.
United States Department of State. 1996. Country Reports for 1995.
