Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Dickson Matembo, says the government is working on plans to modernise refugee settlements across the country to exploit refugee skills and make them self-reliant.
Mr Matembo stated that the government desires to develop refugee camps to help refugees move away from donor and government dependency and subsequently contribute to economic development.
He explained that Mayukwayukwa Refugee Camp in Kaoma in Western Province will be a pilot project as surveyors and planners have already been engaged and will soon be on site.
“The camp will see the construction of banks, shopping malls, a mini hospital and various agricultural activities such as dairy and fish farming among others,” he said.
Mr Matembo made these revelations today during his visit to Mayukwayukwa Refugee Camp as part of the familiarization tour.
He observed that most refugees were trained in various fields but could not be engaged due to a lack of facilities at the camp.
“We want refugees to start doing something so that they can move away from donor and government dependency. The settlement will be well planned whereby we will have different facilities so that they can use their skills and we want to start with Mayukwayukwa,” Mr Matembo explained.
He further noted that the modernization of Mayukwayukwa refugee camp will not only benefit refugees but will adversely contribute to the growth of the Zambian economy.
ZANIS reports that Mayukwayukwa refugee camp has a population of 22,000 refugees from Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
So effectively they will no longer be refugees
This is a very positive move. We need more plans like this. Nice one
It’s time to integrate the refugees into citizens. There should be a pathway since they cannot go back to their troubled homelands.