Forced displacement and refugee protection

The Government of Djibouti and IOM inaugurated a new facility in the capital of Djibouti to house the headquarters of the National Office of Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Victims (ONARS) a structure under the Ministry of the Interior. The new office is expected to strengthen ONARS’ operational support and assistance for refugees, asylum seekers and disaster victims, including migrants, throughout the country.

The Asylum Act of 2014 replaces the 1974 Asylum Act to establish the conditions for refusal of asylum, the loss of refugee status, and the rights and duties of refugees.

The National Commission for Refugees and IDPs has called for a nationwide moratorium on the eviction of IDPs to prevent a further spread of the COVID-19 virus. The moratorium appeal is in place until further notice.

Following the passing of Law No. 11 of 2018, Cabinet Decision No. 13 of 2019 defines the benefits and rights of political refugees residing within Qatar.

Cabinet Resolution No. 12 of 2019 was written after Law No. 11 of 2018 was passed and established a need to define eligibility of political asylum.

In an effort to provide tenure security and address the housing needs of IDPs and refugee-returnees, the Interim Protocol establishes the eligibility criteria for land distribution, availability of land for distribution, priority in land allocation, determination of beneficiaries, and the obligations of beneficiaries and land ownership. The provisions in the Protocol are according to the Somali Provisional Constitution that guarantees to every person residing lawfully on the territory of the said Republic freedom of movement, the freedom to choose his/her residence and to leave the country.

The Banadir Regional Administration & Municipality of Mogadishu established an IDP policy in response to Somalia’s National Development Plan (2017-2019) objective of enhancing the country’s resilience capacity, specifically to sustainably reduce the number of IDPs by bringing them into mainstream life and addressing underlying causes of their displacement. The policy articulates the Administration’s plan for IDPs in Mogadishu, building on the laws of Somalia and the National IDP Policy, with a focus on the implementation of durable solutions while ensuring that IDP rights are taken into consideration.

To provide specific protection against the rising cases of forced evictions of IDPs, especially in major urban cities, the Somali Government has established National Eviction Guidelines that lay out conditions, safeguards, process for legal evictions, in line with international standards. The Guidelines prevent arbitrary and forced eviction of occupiers of public and private properties, from homes, encampments and other lands, thus protecting the rights of IDPs and refugee-returnees to residence.

The National Policy, for the first time, codifies the Somali government’s responsibility – both at the federal and state level – for facilitating sustainable solutions for IDPs. The legislation protects the rights of IDPs and refugee-returnees and creates a framework to prevent further forced displacement, provide protection and assistance during displacement, and find a durable solution to their displacement.

The Response Plan seeks to address the needs of Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities affected by the crisis by adopting a resilience-based approach that combines short-term humanitarian and longer-term development response, in addition to setting budget needs and fundraising goals for the Government to effectively continue offering support to Syrian refugees.