Preparing host communities and government agencies for refugee resettlement challenges

Working Within the Community

Preparing My Department and The Community at Large for The Challenges That Will Be Caused by This Resettlement. Actions and How to Would Carry Them Out

Intensifying Refugee Protection, Assistance and Support to Host Communities

Refugee Governance and Capacity Building

The police will be required to carry out the coordination and registration of fresh asylum-seekers; refugee status determination; refugee population and maintenance of data on asylum seeker; issuance of vital documents that confirm status; co-ordination and management of the refugee camps; and, provision of very secure arrangements for significant protection issues. Under certain circumstances where this is beyond what the police can handle, they can get the social service department involved.

Partnership

It suggested that the Government, the police and every other relevant partner should make up their mind on coordination mechanisms for strengthening protection delivery. This should involve counseling process where refugee communities will be actively encouraged to take part, and national Non-Governmental Organizations will also be able to take part in and provide the needed training as well as operational inputs in matters that concern refugees.

Public Perception of Refugees

The host population that see refugees as a huge threat to security often view them in a negative light, especially through supposed trafficking of drugs and arms, and a damage on both the social services and the environment and as people who receive more assistance than the local populations. In the urban areas, the negative behaviors are responsible for different types of harassments the refugees receive from the police. In camp regions, negative opinions have also resulted in conflicts between the refugees and the local communities. Efforts to address the issue of local communities, through the environmental restructuring programs and projects capable of supplementing sustainable development are not enough to meet the present needs.

Security

Despite more effective policing and the involvement of the government in security and notable drops in cases of severe crime, there is still a great need to raise the number of well-trained security personnel responsible for protecting the refugees from the locals and also for protecting the community from the refugees. However, raising the number of well-trained security personnel is not enough. The given support should also involve providing adequate equipment, such as telecommunications, transportation and several other logistics needed to fulfill their role in a very efficient manner (UNHCR, 2005).

Problems That May Arise

Adding a number of refugees to an already existing population puts pressure on the already inadequate natural resources like land, water, fuel, shelter, food and materials, with long-term effects in their sustainable re-growth.

There are common complaints from several quarters that refugees have added to the security problems generally, and increased the rates of crime, murder, theft, etc., particularly. Concomitantly, other social challenges like prostitution and alcoholism have also been claimed to rise in the refugee camps.

A major source of dissatisfaction for a local population, especially a poor one, is for refugees to be receiving entitlements and services, which are hitherto not available to them. It is possible for refugees to have unrestricted access to health and education, which local people do not have (UNHCR, 1997).