Africa

UNHCR resumes voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees from Angola, suspended due to pandemic

UNHCR resumes voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees from Angola, suspended due to pandemic

July 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resumed this Tuesday the voluntary repatriation of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from Angola, a process suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Thus, the first convoy with 88 refugees left this morning from the Lovua settlement, located in northern Angola, heading for the DRC border, which is scheduled to cross first thing Wednesday, according to UNHCR.

New convoys are scheduled to cross the border through Chissandra in the coming weeks. The refugees will go to different destinations in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, such as Kasai, Kasai Central, Kwilu, Sankuru, Lomami, Lualaba and the capital Kinshasa.

These repatriation operations take place at a time when, although the security situation in the DRC is complex, it has improved in recent times, allowing the Congolese to return to their country in a dignified and safe manner.


Upon arrival in the DRC, returnees will receive financial assistance in cash so that they can cover their basic needs, and will be provided with additional support for their integration; for example, by helping to enroll children in schools.

The voluntary repatriation program from Angola began in 2019, but had to be interrupted in 2020 due to the conditions of the roads and the bridge over the Kasai River, as well as the coronavirus pandemic, which led to the closure of the borders. .

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