Angola

Year-end Overview

Plan Overview

Operational Environment

The political and economic environment in Angola is expected to remain stable, while the operational context will be characterized by the evolution of events in neighbouring countries, in particular in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The situation remains volatile in the Kasai region of the DRC with rising numbers of internally displaced people.  The Government of Angola maintains an open door policy to Congolese fleeing the hostilities.
 
Approximately 15,000 refugees and 30,000 asylum-seekers reside in the Luanda, Huambo, Bengo, Zaire, and Uige provinces of Angola. Furthermore, the outbreak of violence in the Kasai region of the DRC in March 2017 triggered the displacement of over 35,000 refugees into Lunda Norte Province. In September 2018, some 22,500 biometrically registered refugees were receiving food and other assistance in Lóvua settlement and host communities.
 
The asylum law, which entered into force in June 2015, foresees the creation of a new refugee status determination body and the introduction of a judicial appeal as second instance. On 25 July 2018, regulations for the establishment of refugee reception centres (CARRA) and a national refugee commission (CNR), with UNHCR as an observer, were approved.
 
The Government has requested UNHCR’s support to re-initiate the registration of refugees in areas outside Lunda Norte Province.
Furthermore, the Government is planning to start the verification and biometrical re-registration of 15,000 refugees and 30,000 asylum-seekers in Bengo, Huambo, Luanda, Uige and Zaire provinces in December 2018. This exercise is expected to continue in 2019.
 
UNHCR’s main governmental partners in Angola are the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior including the Service for Migration and Foreigners as well as Social Action, Women’s Rights and Family in national and provincial level. UNHCR also works closely with other UN agencies and civil society organizations.
 
Following the refugee influx from the DRC in 2017, Angola is considering the rolling out of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).  The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) process is already contributing to the implementation of CRRF methodology as it enhances the engagement of development actors to achieve solutions for refugees and asylum-seekers.

Key Priorities

UNHCR will continue to support the Government of Angola at central, provincial and local levels in the protection and assistance of refugees and asylum-seekers. Priority areas will be implemented through strategic partnerships with the global and regional development institutions and other UN agencies. UNHCR will also pursue to strengthen the engagement of civil society in refugee protection as well as to improve the public perception towards people of concern.
 
In 2019, UNHCR will focus on:

• pursuing to re-establish refugee status determination procedures and improve registration mechanisms, in close coordination with the Government and partners;
• providing protection and humanitarian assistance to Congolese refugees in Lunda Norte Province; and
• maintaining the emergency response capacity to respond any further influx of Congolese refugees.