The refugee crisis across the globe has become one of the pressing issues that require the involvement all. For so many reasons, especially Africans move to different countries. On the other side, those refugees have been facing multiple plights.
There are different reasons that push people out of their home. Seeking a better life, war, feeling internal conflicts and natural disasters are some of the major causes for the influx. Though the people are fleeing their country to save their lives or find a better life, the nations that host refugees has also faced a number of challenges. Providing humanitarian assistance, facilitating the infrastructure, treating them as human being and include them in their systems are some of the responsibilities from the recipient nation.
In the Ethiopian context, the people and the government have done a lot to make the country a home of refugees. Yet, the nation has its own flaws with internally displaced people and internal unrest, Ethiopia still opens its hands for refugees from different directions. Previously, while visiting Ethiopia, UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi said, “The registered refugees in Ethiopia are nearly one million. With country’s own challenges, it is a big burden for Ethiopia.”
Ethiopia, in the present climate, has been home to many refugees including Sudanese due to the war in Sudan and many other refugees from its neighboring nations. It is the fact that the Sudan crisis has caused enormous problems up on its people and neighboring nations like Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia has a good refugee policy,” adding that in old days refugee came and you created everything for them, but it could not be sustainable. However, Ethiopia says let refugees come and try to see how we can include them in our system. “Ethiopia is doing it, but it needs help because more people demand services. The international community must help Ethiopia,” the commissioner stated.
The government of Ethiopia, as always been, is treating the refugees as human beings and do everything to make them feel at home. The government has established different institutions that mainly focus on refugees and returnees. Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) could be the textbook example. The nation has also tries what no other nation tried it before which is incorporating refugees by providing basic needs and identification cards.
Even recently, the government of Ethiopia has launched an identification (ID) system for refugees that is going to help them access to national services they need. The Government of Ethiopia, through its Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) in partnership with National ID Program (NIDP) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency launched an initiative to include refugees and asylum seekers into the Ethiopian Digital ID system.
To achieve the objective of facilitating refugees’ access to basic services, according to the press release from the responsible stakeholders, the ID system for refugee’s initiative – currently in its pilot stage – is being rolled out in Addis Ababa with the issuance of digital refugee ID cards that feature a unique identification number called “Fayda”. Using biometric technology, the “Fayda” number issued by the National ID Program of Ethiopia (NIDP), which will be printed on the refugee ID cards, will help in preventing double registration and duplicate ID cards issuance to the refugees.
“Issuing digital IDs to refugees is a huge step that demonstrates that the Ethiopian Government is committed to include refugees in its national systems. This initiative is in line with two of our bold commitments announced during the Global Refugee Forum in 2023: including refugees into national systems and enhancing access to documentation.
Teyiba Hassen, Director General of Ethiopia’s Refugees and Returnees Service said, “These IDs will grant refugees access to government-directed services.” Accordingly, Yodahe Zemichael, Executive Director at the National ID Program to his part said, “In a world where identity is the key to access, Fayda Digital ID for refugees is not just an ID; it is a gateway to dignity, enabling access to essential services, legal recognition, and opportunities to be integrated into host communities. Let’s build systems that recognize everyone, ensuring that no one is left behind.”
The press release also discussed the activities that refugees can do with their new ID. It stated that this new refugee ID (with Fayda number) will allow refugees to access key services like obtaining a SIM card, healthcare or school enrolment and will also help them improve their access to financial services, providing refugees with the opportunity to open bank accounts and engage in financial transactions. Refugee entrepreneurs can also formally register their businesses, contributing to the local economy.
“This is an exciting development and demonstrates how Ethiopia is bringing to life the Global Compact on Refugees, which aims to support long term solutions for refugees no matter where they are and UNHCR hopes this will be emulated by other countries across the continent, “ said Andrew Mbogori, UNHCR’s Representative in Ethiopia Entitled the “PING project (PRIMES Interoperability Gateway), this initiative has been in the works for close to a year. It is also to be recalled that RRS, UNHCR and NIPD had signed a tripartite data sharing agreement to make sure both refugee and national ID databases can communicate, ensuring that the data protection rights of refugees and asylum seekers are respected.
This is the first time in East Africa, and one of the first times globally, that the PING project is being implemented, making Ethiopia a pioneer in the inclusion of refugees in its national systems. This initiative is also in line with Ethiopia’s pledge to include 814,000 refugees into the National ID system during the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, added the press release.
In addition, although the Fayda ID will be rolled out on an opt-in basis, the goal is to scale this up to the 77,000 refugees living in Addis Ababa before availing it to nearly 1 million refugees – mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan – living across Ethiopia – the third largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. This initiative is part of the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) project that aims to improve the inclusivity, functionality and governance of national ID and civil registration systems.
BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 16 MARCH 2024
