UNHCR: Reconsideration of Registering Refugees in Kampala

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The UN Refugee Agency stated that the office of the Prime Minister of Uganda has agreed to reconsider the possibility of registering Sudanese refugees who plan to reside in Kampala separately to facilitate their official stay and registration in Kampala for those who choose to do so.

The agency noted that many families return to Kampala after registering in the camp, and it expects this trend to continue, requiring monitoring to make adjustments to the process.

In its latest report for the period from March 7 to March 13, the UN agency confirmed that there were no reports of Sudanese asylum seekers being prevented from accessing Ugandan territory during the reporting week.

The Ugandan government had previously announced its initial recognition of refugees from Sudan who arrived on or after April 1, 2023, which has increased access to the national asylum process.

Sudanese refugees constitute the largest proportion of new arrivals in Uganda. The increasing number of Sudanese newcomers has led to increased protection needs, according to the report.

The UNHCR and its partners have started registering new Sudanese student arrivals at the Kiryandongo camp. A total of 497 individuals have been registered, with 400 actively participating in classroom activities.

However, the agency also stated that linguistic and cultural differences between students and teachers have created challenges in continuing the educational process, as most newcomers are Arabic speakers, in addition to the shortage of classrooms.

"To overcome the language barrier, 14 teaching assistants have been appointed to facilitate translation from English to Arabic, and temporary structures are being considered to alleviate pressure on existing infrastructure while exploring long-term solutions," the agency said.

The UNHCR also mentioned that the Sudanese Protection Desk Mobile Unit (MPD) met with the newly formed Sudanese Refugee Association in Kampala, which requested support from the agency and its partners in areas such as computer skills training, rehabilitation services, womens empowerment, project development, as well as music, drama, and educational activities.