Radio Erena: 19 February 2015
Somali immigrants from the North Eastern Eritrean refugee camp of Emkulu appealed to the international community for special consideration regarding their settlements.
The estimated 2800 immigrants have been getting assistance from the government of Eritrea in cooperation with the UNHCR. However, the assistance does not include a program to resettle them to a third country.
The Eritrean office for refugees and the UNHCR are believed to have told the immigrants they would create training and job opportunities in order to help them integrate in the Eritrean society although this didn’t get any acceptance by the immigrants, they are rather demanding that they are given opportunity to be resettled in a third country.
The UNHCR has been following the immigrants’ cases from its permanent resident office in the Eritrean capital of Asmara and is now reported to be planning on opening a local office in the Emkulu in an effort to investigate each case first hand faster.
The UNHCR has signed a deal regarding the immigrants with Eritrea’s Ministry of National Development and Office of Refugees to ensure the availabilities of basic necessaties.
The UNHCR has further reported that it got various material donations from the Swiss Embassy in Eritrea.
Kenya is ranked first to shelter the largest number of immigrants among East African nations with Eritrea taking last place with small number of immigrants.
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