UNCHR Starts Relocation Of Some Asylum Seekers In South Sudan

Over 100 foreign asylum seekers living at a Protection of Civilian site (POCs) in Juba have arrived in Makpandu in Western Equatoria State, as part of an interagency strategy aimed at finding long-term solutions for over 500 who had been living in the POC site when conflict broke in mid-December 2013.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in coordination with South Sudan's Commission for Refugee Affairs (CRA) and the International Organisation for migration, started the relocation of this group to Makpandu on September 1st, 2015.

510 foreign nationals who registered for the relocation programme had to choose from three relocation options, which included, moving into Juba town; moving Western Equatoria's State capital of Yambio; or moving to a UNHCR-administered refugee settlement in Makpandu.

To date, 264 of them have made their selections, where 104 have voluntarily signed up for relocation to Makpandu refugee camp.

Adamu Akjira is asylum seeker from Ethiopia who volunteered to relocate to Makpandu. A father of one child, he says that he is unable to return to his home country, but hopes his young daughter will have a better future with the support of UNHCR.

SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Adamu Akjira, Asylum Seeker from Ethiopia:
"I came here for the sake of my child; my daughter will get education and will also get a chance of going to a foreign country."

SOUNDBITE (English) Bernard Chamoux, UNHCR Head of Office
"Providing the basic assistance for everybody, access to water and food, that is the first step. Health and education are coming just after. But big challenge is the …many…suddenly you have hundreds or millions of people who are in need of everything, they are just arriving with nothing and the international community has mobilized to provide response to their basic needs and UNHCR is the agency who is trying to coordinate these efforts between the different actors."

Most of the foreign nationals come from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. With the change in the security situation, there is no need for the foreign nationals to continue to reside in the UNMISS camp, UNMISS said in a statement. UNMISS has worked with the foreign nationals, relevant UN agencies and national partners to identify other options for their continued stay in South Sudan.

Kiros and her family, from Eritrea, were owners of a small business in Malakal and lost all during the conflict. They are now part of the group who volunteered to resettle in Makpandu.

SOUNDBITE (Tigrina) Kiros Habte, Asylum Seeker from Eritrea:
"Because of the conflict we were displaced and were staying in the camp in Juba. Now we are told by UNHCR to come to a better place, even though I am not familiar with this camp I trust UNHCR and believe that they will take us to a better place."

UNHCR, IOM and UNMISS have been in close coordination with the national government's Commission for Refugee Affairs of South Sudan. The outbreak of the conflict in South Sudan in December 2013 triggered an influx of hundreds of foreign nationals into the PoC sites established by UNMISS in the opening days of the fighting to fulfill its protection-of-civilians mandate.

Earlier this year, the Relief, Re-integration and Protection Section of UNMISS alongside IOM and UNHCR engaged with the foreign nationals and encouraged them to seek living options outside the PoC site at UN House that had been assigned to them. Specifically, IOM provided passports to foreign nationals upon request and UNHCR facilitated the provision of asylum-seeking certificates that will enable them to remain legally in South Sudan while their individual applications for refugee status are reviewed. Some foreign nationals opted to seek formal refugee status in South Sudan, and their applications will be subject to a Refugee Status Determination process.
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / REFUGEES RELOCATION
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / AMHARIC / TIGRINA

DATELINE: 01 AUGUST 2015, NZARA / MKPANDU- SOUTH SUDAN

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, WFP plain arriving at Nrara airport
2. Wide shot, interior of the plane with asylum seekers
3. Med shot, mother and baby leaving the plain
4. Med shot, basketball court with Chinese contingent (traditional dress)
5. Med, Bernard Chamoux UNHCR Head of Office greeting asylum seekers
6. Med shot, Adamu Akjira asylum seeker from Ethiopia arriving with his daughter.
7. SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Adamu Akjira, Asylum Seeker from Ethiopia:
"I came here for the sake of my child; my daughter will get education and will also get a chance of going to a foreign country."
8. Tracking shot, children helping parents with basic assistance from UNHCR
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Bernard Chamoux, UNHCR Head of Office
"Providing the basic assistance for everybody, access to water and food, that is the first step. Health and education are coming just after. But big challenge is the …many…suddenly you have hundreds or millions of people who are in need of everything, they are just arriving with nothing and the international community has mobilized to provide response to their basic needs and UNHCR is the agency who is trying to coordinate these efforts between the different actors."
10. Wide shot, asylum seeker from Eritera carrying blankets
11. Med shot, asylum seeker from Eritera and family entering their new tent
12. SOUNDBITE (Tigrina) Kiros Habte, Asylum Seeker from Eritrea:
"Because of the conflict we were displaced and were staying in the camp in Juba. Now we are told by UNHCR to come to a better place, even though I am not familiar with this camp I trust UNHCR and believe that they will take us to a better place."
13. Wide shot, new site with tents
14. Wide shot, tent
DURATION: 02:06