The UN has
expressed concern over the forced return of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon in
spite of recent tripartite agreement aimed at ensuring voluntary returns o
f
nationals.
According to a
statement from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on
Tuesday, Cameroon has forcefully returned more than 2,600 refugees back to
Nigerian border villages “against their will”.
UNHCR
Spokesperson, Babar Balogh, said in the statement that the organisation was
particularly concerned “as these forced returns have continued unabated”.
Balogh
recalled that the governments of Nigeria and Cameroon signed a tripartite
agreement with UNHCR in Yaoundé on March 2, 2017.
He said that
the forced return of asylum-seekers and refugees was a “serious violation” of
the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention, which he said,
Cameroon had ratified.
He, however,
commended Cameroon for its generosity in hosting more than 85,000 Nigerian
refugees but urged it to honour its obligations under international and
regional refugee protection instruments.
The spokesman
said that refugees had fled violent attacks from Boko Haram and urged that
“their access to asylum and protection must be ensured”.
“Insecurity
persists in parts of north-eastern Nigeria and access to basic services remains
limited.
“Most
returning refugees find themselves in situations of internal displacement upon
return and are unable to return to their places of origin,” he stated.
He also said
that UNHCR recognised the legitimate national security concerns of the Cameroon
Government. (NAN)
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