Addis Ababa, December 17, 2019 (FBC) –Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, has called for comprehensive response to refugees.
He made the call at the first Global Refugee Forum kicked off in Geneva, Switzerland today and co- co-convened by Ethiopia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Germany, and Pakistan.
The Forum is the first gathering at the Ministerial level to follow up on the practical implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed at the UN in New York in December 2018.
Ethiopia is committed to provide the necessary supports to refugees based on the comprehensive refugee response framework (CRRF), the Deputy Prime Minister told the gathering.
He further noted that the country is undertaking reforms to respond to refugee needs.
According to UNHCR Ethiopia, the Deputy Prime Minister announced four new commitments that are linked to the existing nine pledges made at the leaders’ summit on refugees in 2016.
The new set of commitments includes:
- creating economic opportunities for 90,000 Ethiopians and refugees;
- providing quality and accredited skills training for 20,000 refugees and Ethiopians
- sustainable and market-based energy solutions to 3million, including refugees, and
- strengthen government’s asylum capacity with special focus on social protection
At the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, which Ethiopia co-hosted on 20 September 2016 in New York, Ethiopia made the following pledges:
- expand the “out-of-camp” policy to benefit 10% of the current total refugee population
- provide work permits to refugees and those with permanent residence ID
- provide work permits to refugees in the areas permitted for foreign workers.
- increase enrolment of refugee children in preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary education, without discrimination and within available resources
- make 10,000 hectares of irrigable land available, to enable 20,000 refugees and host community households (100,000 people) to grow crops
- allow local integration for refugees who have lived in Ethiopia for over 20 years
- work with industrial partners to build industrial parks to employ up to 100,000 individuals, with 30% of the jobs reserved for refugees
- expand and enhance basic and essential social services for refugees
- provide other benefits, such as issuance of birth certificates to refugee children born in Ethiopia, and the possibility of opening bank accounts and obtaining driving licenses.
Ethiopia currently hosts close to one million refugees from neighbouring countries, with the majority originating from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.
Early this year, the country approved a new refugee law which will allow refugees to obtain work permits, access primary education, obtain drivers’ licenses, legally register life and open up access to national financial services.