By JOHNSON KANAMUGIRE

More by this Author

The government plans to boost the refugee kitty in a fundraising session during the forthcoming Africa Private Sector Forum on Forced Displacement Summit slated for this week.

It is understood that the refugee kitty has suffered budget cuts from donors due to the impact of Covid-19, leaving the refugees, mainly Burundians and Congolese, at the mercy of the Ministry of Emergency Management. The fundraiser, the government said, will promote inclusion, and make the 130,000 refugees part of the society and participate in income-generating activities.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it raises $13.9 million this year for programmes  such as access to education, refugees' self-reliance and livelihood improvement, leaving the burden of pluging the deficit to Emergency Management Ministry.

The joint strategy on economic inclusion of refugees by UN Refugee Agency and the government show at least $25 million are needed to sustain refugees under inclusion programmes over the next three years.

“The Forum provides the platform for private sector companies to make financial pledges and other commitments supporting economic inclusion and education for refugees and host communities,” organisers of the three-day forum indicated in details shared ahead of the meeting expected to be attended by hundreds of private sector leaders, government, donors, philanthropy, and other actors between November 30 and December 2.

Details obtained by Rwanda Today show all funds raised from private sector in Rwanda and 10 percent of the remaining non-earmarked funds will be dedicated to projects in the country.

This is against the backdrop of findings of livelihood assessment by the UN refugee agency suggesting that over 79 percent of the refugees fell in the vulnerability bracket as a result of the pandemic and prioritisation of slashed aid towards only those deemed most vulnerable.

“The high level of vulnerability may be associated with the negative impact of Covid-19 and the containment measures, overall economic slowdown, income and job losses and closure of businesses. This indicates loss of livelihoods for many, so stepped up livelihoods interventions would be required for restoring their livelihoods,” a 2020 assessment report jointly carried out by UNHCR and World Food Programme indicated.

Past discussions around refugee inclusion focused on enhancing refugee education, dignified work and self-reliance but refugees continued to report restrictions and lack of right investments.

“Any interventions will have to go hand in hand with sensitising employers about right of refugees to work and their hiring process. There is also need to allow refugees into the tertiary education’s State sponsorship programme because that what will position to access skills to make it into formal jobs,” the Mahama camp Refugee representative Jean Bosco Kwibishatse told Rwanda Today.

In Rwanda, for instance, despite policy guaranteeing refugees the right to work, freedom of mobility, and integration into national social services, it hasn’t been easy for over 130,000 “persons of concern” the country hosts to date who are largely Burundians and Congolese nationals.

Added to this number are hundreds of asylum seekers brought in from Libya under the arrangement with the African Union and donors.

The UN in Rwanda estimates the value of Rwanda’s refugees economic potential at $450 million to $500 million annually if they are given the opportunity to participate in the labour market.

Official data suggest that only 4.1 percent of the camp-based refugees derive their incomes from jobs and wages.