12 Jun 2014

Botswana, being party to international refugee law, ensures that the welfare of refugees is upheld.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security Ms Segakweng Tsiane said when presenting at the Public Accounts Committee on June 10 that welfare of refugees fell within national commitment as provided for in the constitution.

Therefore refugees, she said, were treated the same as citizens. Ms Tsiane said the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) provided packages to refugees on their individual capacity, which included food.

The United Nations through UNHCR, she explained, had to satisfy itself that refugees’ places of origin were safe and peaceful before it could return them.

Ms Tsiane said there was a programme called “Go and see, Come and tell” which would determine that refugees were safe to return home.

The permanent secretary was responding to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Shoshong Mr Phillip Makgalemele who wanted to know the extent to which refugees were protected when they returned to their countries of origin.

He also asked her to indicate whether the ministry was doing well to ensure that refugees lived dignified lives in Botswana. Furthermore Ms Tsiane said rehabilitation programmes in Botswana were effective as they did not have repeat offenders.

She said the programme of pardoning was initiated by prison officers who then gave recommendation to the commissioner and to the President.

Ms Tsiane said they were working on a rehabilitation policy within the ministry, adding that the programmes should be effective enough and multi-sectoral.

She was responding to a question askedy the Member of Parliament for Kanye North Mr Kentse Rammidi who had asked her to explain the success of rehabilitation programmes on a scale of one is to 10.
He also requested her to explain the criteria followed during the process of pardoning. ENDS