And the head of State says Government is considering extending the offer of local integration to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) refugees who have been in Zambia for more than 10 years and have no intention of returning to their country.
President Lungu said managing refugees requires huge resources and burden sharing with the international community.
Mr Lungu said Zambia will maintain its open-door policy and ensure refugees are protected, and have access to education and livelihood opportunities in line with the commitments it made at last year’s New York Leaders’ Summit.
He said Zambia is implementing phase two of a model local integration programme for former Angolan and Rwandan refugees who were not willing to return to their countries of origin.
President Lungu was speaking in Kampala yesterday when he addressed delegates at the Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees.
“Coming from a country that had been home to more than 300,000 refugees in the past, we understand and appreciate the strain that comes with hosting large numbers of refugees.
“Host governments such as Uganda, Zambia and many more in Africa need to be consistently and adequately supported by the international community,” he said.
He showered accolades on Uganda, which is looking after one million refugees, for its commitment towards accommodating refugees and channelling the nation’s resources towards bettering their welfare.
“Zambia recognises the great sacrifices the people and government of Uganda have made in providing sanctuary to people who have been displaced and forced to flee their homes due to conflict and violence in their countries,” he said.
He also applauded the innovative approach Uganda has adopted in responding to increased pressure of hosting refugees in view of the rapid increase in the number of refugees, especially from South Sudan.
“Zambia stands ready in the spirit of Ubuntu and Pan-Africanism to support the government of Uganda in any way possible to address the refugee challenge,” Mr Lungu said.
Speaking at the same function, United Nations (UN) secretary general Antonio Guterres said the call on the international community to step up their support to hosting nations of refugees cannot be over-emphasised.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi also attended the two-day summit, which ended yesterday.
African leaders should stop creating more refugees with their selfish clinging on to power which creates wars.
Meanwhile…..Over 200 Ugandan girls who were recruited as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are trapped and stranded due to unbearable working conditions.
Ethiopian Housemaids Abused In Rich Arab Countries
Lots of Ethiopian women have lost their lives over the past several years.Women have worked there as maids. Ninty nine percent of the time these maids are insulted, beat, raped, engulfed with boiling water, thrown over several stories, and of course murdered in cold blood. The Ethiopian government does not care. The perpetrator that do these despicable atrocities are Arabs
These same international community are tge one’s funding civil wars for them to loot the wealth of those nations and you are appealing to them to support you settle the displaced. Why not take thise displaced people to the same countries that are distabilising the nations. They should bear the cost of creating problems by accepting to leave with those refugees. Look at libya Egypt Iraq drc etc. Thise refugees should seek asylum in Europe and America.
Meanwhile…..Over 200 U g a n d a .n girls who were recruited as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are trapped and stranded due to unbearable working conditions.
Ethiopian Housemaids Abused In Rich Arab Countries
Lots of Ethiopian women have lost their lives over the past several years.Women have worked there as maids. Ninty nine percent of the time these maids are insulted, beat, raped, engulfed with boiling water, thrown over several stories, and of course murdered in cold blood. The Ethiopian government does not care. The perpetrator that do these despicable atrocities are Arabs. Shocking Videos Of Tortured African Maids In Saudi Arabia
Here goes another African leader praying for more hostilities in Africa, so that he hosts refugees, so that UN can give him a few dollar to pocket.
Wagunwa mudaala.
HH oval head, don’t you have free will? Why should you allow someone to put a panga in your hands to harm me because am UPND. what’s your brain for anyway?
Economic migrants are not fleeing from bombs and war, only their own politicians and leaders.
Agree look at Zimbo’s running to other countries, no war there.
Always begging iwe ka lungu. You son of a beech
You son of a beech
What useless bum of a President…clueless begger!!
Why does zambia need support from international community? You mean we can not help our neighbours without asking for donations? And we all know who would really benefit from those donations.
This rotten culture of begging in zed start from the very top. Begging is now a way of life. It is embarrassing. Just stop it please.
A lot of these refugees can actually contribute to the economy, let them work and pay taxes. International community is not the solution.
The question of refugees is not an issue that can be tackled by single African nation looking at our poor economies. Don’t tell me Uganda can feed 1 million refugees! I think the critical time is when they just come into a country because they will depend on that country for food. It is therefore important that the UN and other countries come in on humanitarian grounds to help. But i wish we could be more human and stop being selfish to stop some of these unnecessary displacements. It is so sad to be a refuge!
It’s sad to be a Zambian, look after our own first.
Moron, why not increase your own country’s resources and help other countries for a change? You are creating confusion, recipes for war with the view of personally benefiting from the international funding. Become international as a country and help others. Always begging!!
integrating refugees is a big No-no. RSA recently cancelled Angolan refugee status & ordered them to return home bcoz the war is over.
War has ended in DRC, Lebanon & Kamuzu has died but we still have plenty kassai, Malawians (including lungu himself) & lebanese roaming our streets.
Zambia already has serious problems. To put another problem of economic refugees is a road to destruction.
The influx of refugees from Zaire, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, lebanon, Somalians (who now have the guts to call us losers in our own country) has ballooned the population from 3-million at independence to over 13-million now.
Then you add tu ma chinese in the mix, Zambians will be 2nd class citizens in our own home.
No boss just tell them to return to their countries soon our little land will be filled. But are you not the one who boasted that you donot need donor funding Zambia is a sovereign state how have you forgotten so soon big. just tell those dictators to behave themselves we can nt help looking after others when we cannt look after ourselves think about the future if the country is big to day tommorrow it will be small for our children and grand children.