Southern Africa

Response in 2017

In 2017, Southern Africa subregion hosted over 527,000 people of concern to UNHCR, including nearly 198,000 refugees and about 282,000 asylum-seekers mainly from the Central Africa and Great Lakes, East and Horn of Africa and Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.
 
In 2017, there was an overall increase of six per cent in people of concern in the subregion mainly due to the influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighbouring Angola and Zambia but also to other countries in the subregion. As of end of 2017, Southern Africa hosted nearly 178,000 Congolese refugees. UNHCR and its partners implemented comprehensive refugee responses to provide life-saving protection and humanitarian support to some 39,000 new arrivals in Angola and to nearly 13,000 in Zambia.
 
A tripartite agreement between the Governments of Malawi and Mozambique and UNHCR to repatriate some 3,000 Mozambican asylum-seekers from Malawi was being finalized. Zimbabwe hosted over 8,000 Mozambicans. 
 
Although several countries in the subregion experienced economic growth, many were struggling with inequalities, poverty, seasonal floods, drought, food shortages, poor social protection, xenophobia and a high HIV/AIDS prevalence. Mixed movements continued to put a strain on national asylum systems and triggering restrictive migration and refugee policies in the region.
 
While nearly all countries are parties to international and regional refugee instruments, most still have reservations regarding freedom of movement and access to employment keeping refugees mainly in camps and settlements.
 
UNHCR continued to advocate for accession to and ratification of international and/or regional instruments on refugees, internally displaced people and stateless persons as well as for lifting reservations to these instruments; support the development of national legal frameworks. In close cooperation with governments, the Office continued to advocate for the prevention of xenophobia; improve the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers within mixed movement, particularly within SADC. In addition, the Office continued to promote alternatives to detention; find comprehensive solutions particularly to protracted refugee situations and former refugees still hosted by asylum countries; improve standards of assistance through empowerment of refugees, self-reliance, livelihoods and implementation of cash-based interventions; and promote the implementation of the global action plan to end statelessness by 2024.
 
UNHCR pursued a Multi-Year, Multi-Partner protection and solutions strategy for 2018-2021 to ensure that governments, with support of UNHCR and other stakeholders, assume responsibility for refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons. Furthermore, Angola, Malawi, and Mozambique have expressed their support and cooperation for applying the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). In 2017, Zambia became the first country in the Southern Africa region to roll out the CRRF.

Operations

The Indian Ocean Island States do not host significant numbers of people of concern to UNHCR. UNHCR continued to monitor the situation mainly through partners and periodic missions. UNHCR encouraged Comoros and Mauritius to accede to international refugee and statelessness instruments as well as to establish referral mechanism to coordinate the management of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons. Seychelles has requested UNHCR’s technical support in drafting a national legal asylum framework that could serve as a model for other Indian Ocean Island States. Seychelles has also shown interest in acceding to statelessness conventions.
 
Lesotho hosted 87 people of concern. UNHCR continued to build the authorities’ capacity on refugee status determination and management of refugees and asylum-seekers.
 
Madagascar hosted 107 refugees and asylum-seekers. UNHCR continued to support Madagascar in the management of refugees and asylum-seekers through the provision of social and legal assistance through a partner. In February 2017, the Government promulgated an amendment to the nationality law granting men and women equal rights to pass on their nationality to their children, thereby removing gender discrimination as a cause for statelessness.
 
Namibia hosted nearly 4,150 refugees and asylum-seekers in Osire Refugee Settlement and in urban areas. In line with phase out strategy, UNHCR provided shelter, food and core relief items through its local implementing partner and supported the Government in absorbing the assistance activities. UNHCR also assisted the Government in the local integration of some 1,700 former Angolan refugees who are in the process of receiving residence permits.
 
UNHCR provided protection and assistance to some 1,350 refugees and asylum-seekers residing in Malindza Reception Centre and in urban areas in Swaziland. The new Refugee Act was passed by the Parliament and assented by the King in 2017. Swaziland has requested UNHCR’s technical support in drafting regulation giving effect to the changes and institutions established under the new legislation.