Rwandan refugees in Uganda are uncertain of what will happen to them after December 31, 2011.

This follows a pact by the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) that all refugees should return home because their country is now regarded as safe.

In response to that decision, the Refugee Law Project issued a press statement highlighting the sensitivity of the issue as well as presenting various recommendations for all the parties involved in the decision.

They stated that all parties should consider the decision to invoke the cessation clause carefully to ensure that the human rights of the returnees are guaranteed and prioritise international protection ahead of politics in dealing with Rwandese refugees.

Other recommendations made by the Refugee Law Project include: diplomatic assurances by Rwanda that the country is safe for return before a definite decision is made to invoke the cessation clause and to ensure that repatriation is purely voluntary and that refugees are returned in physical, legal and material safety and with dignity.

The Refugee Law Project also called on the government of Uganda to justify the invocation of the cessation clause, adding that consultations must be made with all stakeholders, including, human rights groups and the refugees themselves in this regard.

The organization called for protection of refugees and to ensure the reintegration process will be carried out fairly and in a manner devoid of stigmatization and to continue to allow Rwandese asylum seekers full access to the asylum process in Uganda as guaranteed by Uganda’s international obligations and the Refugee Act 2006.

They urged the Ugandan government to address the concerns of the refugees, especially, in regards to restitution of property, victimization through the Gacaca process, freedom of conscience, political opinion and facilitate the option of naturalization.

The UNHCR was called upon to provide current information on Rwanda to enable returnees make informed decisions on repatriation and intensify efforts to identify cases of Rwandan refugees that meet the criteria for third-country resettlement.

In their press statement, the Refugee Law Project called on the UNHCR to sustain its mandate for international protection of all refugees and collaborate with other partners such as World Food Programme to ensure adequate material assistance for the refugees.

Source AllAfrica