Zambia pledges to continue with open policy for refugees

LUSAKA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Friday that it will continue with its open door policy of hosting people seeking sanctuary after running away from civil unrest in their countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji said the government has been implementing an open door asylum policy which has enabled thousands of asylum seekers and refugees to seek sanctuary in the country.

While acknowledging the security concerns and economic strains of hosting thousands of refugees, the Zambian minister said the country feels duty bound to open its doors in the spirit of sharing the burden such people undergo.

"Even though the numbers hosted by Zambia from 1966 to date are small compared to other countries due to the conflict in some of Africa, the country stands ready to share its experiences and best practices with other countries," he said when he made an intervention on a report of the Political and Humanitarian situation in Africa during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) in Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia, according to a statement released by the Zambian Embassy in that country.

He emphasized the need for the international community to address the peace and security situation in Africa and called on the AU to support countries that were hosting refugees at the expense of providing services to their citizens.

Currently, Zambia hosts about 63,809 refugees and persons of concerns, mostly from the Great Lakes Region.

On the other hand, other former refugees have opted to remain in Zambia under a local integration program, with about 15,000 expected to benefit from the program. Enditem