The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has met officials of Cameroon and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) over the repatriation of 4,982 Nigerian refugees in the neighbouring country.
The meeting, at the weekend in Maroua, Cameroon, followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that all Nigerian refugees in Cameroon be returned safely to Nigeria.
The Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Senator Basheer Mohammed, was represented at the meeting by the NCFRMI Director of Refugee and Migration, Mr Tai Ejibunu.
Mohammed said the importance of the meeting of the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) of both countries on the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon cannot be overemphasised.
The commissioner, who is also the chairman, TWG of Nigeria on the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees, said the meeting is a forerunner to the Tripartite Commission (TC) meeting scheduled to hold this week.
“The meeting this week will provide the latitude and platform for officials of both counties to have in-depth discussions on the protocols and strategies to follow in repatriating several thousands of Nigerian Refugees that are stationed in Minawao Camp in the Republic of Cameroon. I urge officials of both countries to be open in their discussions while putting into consideration the interest of the refugees, following international best practices and the guidance of our technical partner, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Offices in Nigeria and Cameroon.
“I thank the UNHCR Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Chansa Kapaya for her invaluable contribution, assistance and collaboration in all spheres to ensure that discussions are held regularly on how best to tackle the repatriation of these Persons of Concerns (PoCs) to Nigeria.
“The Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has demonstrated uncommon passion in ensuring that the citizens of his State in Cameroon are repatriated home in safety and given a new lease of life. His reintegration plans for the PoCs will assuage the losses and fears of the refugees upon their return to Borno State,” he said.
Following a series of meetings in 2017 initiated by the then Commissioner and now Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouk, 134 Nigerians were successfully returned from Cameroon.
Recommendations
At the end of the meeting, it was recommended that the return of the refugees will also be in line with the Commission’s ongoing resettlement city project which will shelter thousands of displaced persons in two-bedroom housing units across some states consisting of primary health care and education centres, security outposts, worship houses, skill acquisition centres, markets and farmlands for use by the returnees.
The commission’s Project Reliance is another programme aimed at providing a stable means of livelihood for the returnee refugees, empowering them through start-up capitals and empowerment tools in more than 50 different vocations and businesses of their choices.
The NCFRMI stated that 3,224 of the refugees are due to be repatriated to Banki and 1,758 to Bama, both in Borno State.
PIAK/FMIC
