28 Feb 2017

Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security has launched a new refugee management system in the form of biometric identity cards.

Launching the system, Minister  Shaw Kgathi said this resulted from Botswana’s ratifications to monitor and control movement of refugees at any given time noting prior to having such system, some refugees had been taking advantage of the loopholes in existing system to the extent that they would leave the camp without the knowledge of the commandant.

And although they were allowed to leave or visit outside the camp for a specific period of a week some because there was no control, went for months and even for years with the authorities not knowing their whereabouts.  

Minister Kgathi therefore pointed out that as a country, Botswana had an obligation to adhere to the United Nations principles of the 1951 conventions and through his ministry the government decided to adopt a system which would ensure the safety and security for asylum seekers and refugees.

The new system would enable his ministry to capture biometric and demographic data of all refugees so as to have a secured and reliable database.

The system, he said would contain comprehensive information about each one of them and urged them to provide to the authorities at the time of the registration for the new card concrete information about themselves avoiding situation of providing false information  in particular names and their origins.

“Ensure that you provide your real names which can be found in any of your documents not nicknames,” he emphasised.

In addition, Mr Kgathi implored the refugees and asylum seekers to make it a priority for them to register in the new system because at the elapse of the deadline of April 30 this year, their current identity cards will be null and void.

And with their identity cards being their key to every service they receive, they should carry them at all times adding that after the deadline those who would have not registered would have it tough to access services.

He nonetheless cautioned them not to register for anyone who was not in the camp because the arrangement was that each one of them had to present themselves to authorities for registration hence no data would be captured in proxy.

Registration  started on February 24 and at the launch 19 refugees were issued with the new cards. ENDS