Eritrea: Information on the position of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva regarding the repatriation of Eritrean refugees to Eritrea
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ERT17367.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Eritrea: Information on the position of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva regarding the repatriation of Eritrean refugees to Eritrea, 1 June 1994, ERT17367.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abf85c.html [accessed 22 December 2015] |
| 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. |
A representative of the Eritrea desk at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva offered the following information (15 June 1994). The present position of the UNHCR is that in principle any Eritrean refugee wanting to return to Eritrea can do so. The UNHCR has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Eritrean government and is involved in the voluntary repatriation of Eritrean refugees to Eritrea. The UNHCR repatriation effort involves Eritrean refugees from all around the region, but particularly from the Sudan. The official advised that Eritrean refugees wanting to return to their country must first apply for an entry visa from the Eritrean mission nearest them (ibid.).
For general information on the kind of assistance offered to returnees in a UNHCR repatriation effort, please refer to Response to Information Request ETH17368.E of 15 June 1994. This document is available at your Regional Documentation Centre.
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.
Reference
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva. 15 June 1994. Telephone interview with representative of Eritrea desk.
