3,000 PEOPLE OF PAPUA REFUGEES WILL BE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP IN PNG

West Papuan refugees in East Awhin in Iowara, Kiunga - Jesuit Refugee Service

Jayapura, Jubi - Papua New Guinea (PNG) is preparing measures to give citizenship to the refugees status of West Papua who work and live in all parts of the country. This state authority through the immigration department said they are running a process that is required to grant citizenship to refugees to West Papua.

Deputy Chief of Staff Director of Migration and Refugees PNG, Esther Gaegaming said about 3,000 West Papuan refugees living in refugee camps in the East Awin Iowara, Kuinga in North Fly, have them registered.

"Our division has started the registration and naturalization projects to the West Papuan refugees in the country. My team has registered around 3,000 refugees of West Papua. Most of them are eligible to obtain citizenship and we will be running this process with them, "said Gaegaming, Monday (12/14/2015).

Further Gan Gaming, the PNG government has made the decision to offer citizenship to refugees from West Papua, but they must verify in detail these refugees and process applications from those who accept the offer.

Game Gaming confirms refugees are the most vulnerable people in the world who need help.
West Papuan refugees, obviously Gaegaming have lived in PNG for more than 15 years.

"There is the greatest humanitarian crisis of all time, the displacement is happening around the world," he said.
He explained that millions of people have fled their homes because of war, persecution and seek refuge.
"We have been approached by West Papuan refugees over the last 15 years or more since 1960 and we are well aware of their situation. 

 Because it has lived long enough in PNG, according to the country Gamegaming sometimes considered refugees from West Papua's fine.

"But everyone in this world has the right to housing and some legal rights attached to the residents. PNG government has also set a naturalization fee K10,000 for refugees, "said Gaegaming.

However, this naturalization fee as stated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a report entitled "2015 UNHCR operations subregional profile - East Asia and the Pacific" will be released. 
UNHCR said the measures taken by the Papua New Guinea this as a positive step to integrate refugees in West Papua. A clearer legal basis for the protection of refugees are also being drafted in this new migration act.

"UNHCR will facilitate durable solutions for refugees of West Papua, particularly local integration, and will support the capacity of governments and NGOs to provide effective protection and assistance to asylum seekers and refugees from non-Melanesian" UNHCR wrote in the report.

 Beginning in 2015, Head of the Border District Digoel, Martinus Torip say as many as 30,000 residents Digoel and Merauke district in the territory of PNG.

"During this time, an Indonesian who lives in the State of PNG scattered in several villages," said Torip that time.

He explained that the approximately 30,000 residents of Indonesia in the State of PNG's status as a refugee, after after the political conflict that occurred in 1984 ago.



(Victor Mambor)
 Source : indonesian version