Group urges govt to admit refugees resident in Zambia for 10 years as citizens

The Zambian Civil Liberties Union (ZCLU) is calling on government to consider registering refugees and their children who have lived in Zambia for more than 10years as citizens of Zambia.

Union Deputy Executive Director, Maurice Makalu, disclosed that his organization has officially written to government to respect provisions of the Zambian Constitution and the UN Convention on Refugees on registration of eligible refugees as citizens.

Makalu told Zambia Monitor in Lusaka that Article 37 of the Constitution entitles eligible refugees, like any other person, to register and be granted the citizenship of Zambia.

“The Zambian government should end the discrimination against refugees and their children by treating them like any other person who can apply and be granted citizenship of Zambia,” he said.

Makalu said according to the Zambian Constitution, a person who has continuously lived in Zambia for 10 years and has attained the age of 18 years is entitled to be registered as citizen.

He said the amended constitution also provides for registration of children who were born and have lived in Zambia for a period of 5 years as Zambian citizens.

“Countries which are fast-developing in the world rely on the education, skills and labour of both its citizens and foreign nationals such as refugees,” Makalu said.

He said it was disheartening to see former refugees who have refused to go back to their countries being treated like common criminals in Zambia.

“Some of the inferior laws we have made in this country are directly in contravention of the Constitution, the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) instruments on refugees and should not be allowed to stand,” Makalu said.

He said the ZCLU will not run to court but will engage government to correct this measure.

“The courts will be our last option to pursue if engagement and dialogue with government fails but we think government must bring stakeholders on board to correct this discrimination which is happening against refugees and their children,” Makalu said.

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