Kampala, Uganda, June 22 (UNHCR) – Popular for its progressive policies for refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Uganda launches yet another friendly refugee law, meant to guide the operations of the over 140,000 refugees currently living on its soil. The launch of The Refugee Act was one of the activities intended to mark World Refugee Day 2009.

"With this year's theme of Real People, Real needs, I believe that UNHCR is timely highlighting the needs of refugees amidst the global financial crisis which has affected all humanity the world over," said Uganda's Prime Minister, Right Hon. Apolo Nsibambi, while launching the Act.

In line with the 1951 Convention relation to the status of refugees and other international obligations, The new Ugandan Refugee Act make a new provision for matters relating to refugees, while establishing the office of the refugees to repeal the control of the Alien Refugees Act, an old law which mainly sought government control of refugees.

I believe that UNHCR is timely highlighting the needs of refugees amidst the global financial crisis which has affected all humanity the world over.

Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi

The new Refugee Act also provide for other related refugee matters such as the roles and responsibilities of refugees, Refugee Appeals boards, application of refugee status, entitlements of refugees after submission of application, duties and obligation of refugees, and refugee entitlement under international conventions. Likewise, the law enumerates the rights and some of the obligations of the host country such as the rights of refugees while in Uganda such as freedom of movement, right to travel document, rights of refugee children, rights of women refugees, rights of family member of refugee, procedures of withdrawal of refugee status, and the naturalisation of refugees.

Uganda's history with refugees began after World War II when over 4,000 Polish refugees were hosted in Uganda in Mpumude in Mukono District in Central Uganda, much earlier that the UN Refugee Convention of July 1951 and its protocol of January 1967.

Moreover, Uganda is surrounded by refugee producing countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, and Kenya. Refugees also come to Uganda from as far as Somali, Eritrea, Malawi, Pakistan, Tanzania, Central African Republic, Chad, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Cost and Guinea.

Uganda's long history with refugees has led to a unique refugee experience where refugees live in settlements and not camps, like many other African countries. On arrival in Uganda, refugees are given plots of land for cultivation, settlement and other livelihood activities such as agriculture. Hence the refugees do not rely forever on relief aid but are encouraged to attain self reliance.

The refugee Act thus epitomises Uganda's unwavering liberal policy towards refugees who seek protection in Uganda until they can achieve any of the three durable solutions of: returning in safety and dignity to their countries of origin, resettlement in a third country, or integration in the country of displacement.

"I can say with certainty that asylum seekers have been accorded with a very good law, which is an embodiment of some of the best regional tenets on refugee law," said Stefano Severe, The UNHCR Representative in Uganda.

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