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UNHCR cautions refugees in Zambia against irregular movement

Xinhua, May 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday cautioned refugees in Zambia against irregular movements, saying it is not allowed, after some refugees ran away from their camp.

Last week, about 54 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo ran away from a refugee settlement in western Zambia after complaining of poor living conditions, but were turned away at the border with Botswana.

The UNHCR representative in Zambia, Laura o Castro, said that while the refugees' concerns might be legitimate, irregular movement by refugees was not allowed in the region with countries having signed protocols to curb it.

She asked the refugees not to do things that may put their safety at risk and jeopardize their refugee status.

While acknowledging that the living conditions in refugee camps in Zambia may not be ideal, she said the UNHCR, working with the Zambian government and operational partners, was doing all it could to ensure that the refugees had a decent and dignified life.

The refugees, who ran away, had been camping in community halls in the western Zambian town of Mongu. They told local media that they wanted to go to neighboring countries where they maybe looked after "properly." Endit