Management of Refugees: Government’s Multiform Support

Cameroon is host to over 450,000 refugees from neighbouring countries predominantly the Central African Republic and Nigeria. They are mostly hosted in the East, Far North and Adamawa Regions. Faced with the situation, the government of Cameroon in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has put in place several mechanisms to ensure the safety and respect of human rights of this vulnerable group of people. There is a legal framework that guarantees the protection of refugees in Cameroon like the 2005 law relating to the status of refugees and the 2011 Presidential decree relating to the organisation and functioning of structures that manage the status of refugees in the country. Government actions are thus guided by these legal instruments, added to other normative mechanisms. To this effect, the government of Cameroon, under the concept of healthcare inclusion, integrates refugees into the national health system, through subsidized treatment for malaria, maternal health, and HIV in public hospitals. Free screenings on some diseases are equally constantly organised in refugee camps. With regards to education, government supports and facilitates the enrollment of refugee children in public schools, with learning materials provided. Group leaning equally takes place in the camps with a teacher sometimes brought to teach children and improve their literacy levels. Another assistance offered to refugees by government is providing official identification documents (refugee card) and ensuring birth registrations to prevent Statelessness. Government authorities greatly support the socioeconomic inclusion of refugees by providing agricultural kits and vocational training for self-reliance. Host communities have been appreciated for providing farming land to refugees for agricultural purposes and thus, ensuring the...