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Caritas Zambia has called on government to expedite the process of ratifying the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Organization Executive Director Dr, Gabriel Mapulanga, stated that this should include the domestication of both the 1961 Convention and the 1954 Convention relating to the status of Statelessness Persons.
Mapulanga in a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday said government made a pledge in 2011 and reiterated in 2019 to ratify and domesticate the two conventions.
He noted that Zambia was still not party to the 1961 convention on the reduction of statelessness despite the government’s pledge to accede to it.
“I wish to commend the government for its efforts in establishing the National Refugee Policy and its implementation plan which were launched on January, 19, 2024,” Mapulanga said.
He stated that the policy was a positive step towards effectively managing issues concerning refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
Mapulanga said by operationalising the Refugee Act of 2017, the policy would enhance the reception and admission of refugees, as well as improve coordination in refugee affairs in Zambia.
“Furthermore, Caritas Zambia applauds the government’s efforts and commitment to addressing the needs of refugees in the country,” he stated.
Mapulanga said Caritas Zambia, however, still recognized the many challenges faced by refugees and migrants at large such as the risk of being stateless.
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