The United High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative, Ms. Chansa Kapaya and the Director of the Department of Refugees in Tanzania, Mr Sudi Exon Mwakibasi visited IOM Makere Processing Centre on 25 July 2019.

The objective of their visit to the IOM Makere Processing Centre was to monitor activities carried out by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and the other resettlement programme partners in the centre.

The UNHCR Representative, Ms. Chansa Kapaya was accompanied by officials from UNHCR from Dar Es Salaam and the field while the Director of the Refugees Department was accompanied by the Refugee Zonal Coordinator, Mr Athumani Igwe and the Camp Commandant of the Nyarugusu refugees camp, Mr Jumaane Singani and other members form the Government.

For both the UNHCR Representative and the Director of the Department of Refugees this was their first since the establishment of the Makere Processing Centre in 2017.

Both the UNHCR and the Government delegations were welcomed in the Centre by the IOM Chief of Mission (CoM) to Tanzania, Dr. Qasim Sufi and the Head of Kasulu Sub-office, Mr. Nyararai Kwenda and other IOM staff from Makere Processing and Kasulu Sub-office.

The UNHCR and the Government delegations were briefed by the IOM CoM, Dr. Qasim Sufi, the Head of Kasulu Sub-office, Mr. Nyararai Kwenda, the Head of Operations in Kasulu, Ms Angela kimonyi and the OIC of the Migration Health Department (MHD) in Makere during the visit, Dr Ally Sahally in the conference room. The introduction and the initial briefing were followed by a tour and briefing of the varies units of the centre.

The IOM CoM thanked both the UNHCR Representative and the Director of the Department of Refugees for their visit to the centre where important activities within the refugees resettlement programme are carried out by resettlement partners including adjudication, medical screening, treatment, immunization, pre-departure medical screening and treatment for refugees destined to resettlement to the United States of America (USA) as well as to other resettlement countries such as Canada and Australia.

“This is a sign of excellent cooperation between the two UN Agencies, UNHCR and IOM and the Government in the implementation process of activities related to the refugees resettlement programme which is one of the three durable solutions for refugees” said the IOM CoM in Tanzania, Dr Qasim Sufi during his welcoming remarks. “Refugees resettlement is an excellent example of burden sharing between developing and developed countries in terms of provision of durable solution to refugees in the world”, he added. “I’m very grateful to the Government of Tanzania that donated the land and the Government of the USA that donated the funding for the construction of the centre”, concluded his welcoming remarks Dr. Qasim Sufi, IOM CoM to Tanzania.

The UNHCR Representative, Ms. Chansa Kapaya thanked IOM for the continuous collaboration in the implementation of durable solutions for refugees including resettlement of refugees during her remarks.

Also the Director of the Department of Refugees, Mr. Sudi Exon Mwakibasi used the occasion to thank IOM for the good work that the UN Migration Agency is doing in the different domains of migration in the country.