On the 19 January 2014, in a joint effort with IOM, UNHCR repatriated 201 urban refugees to N’Djamena, Chad. This was the second repatriation of urban refugees since the worsening of the crisis in the Central African Republic. On January 17 the first departure of 3 Sudanese refugees took place. This time, Chadian refugees who have been living in Bangui decided to voluntary repatriate back to their country of origin.

The refugees, composed of a majority of Muslim households, explained that they feared for their security since December 2013 when the situation spiraled into sectarian violence against civilians in the capital. Some individuals who chose to repatriate were already living outside of their usual residency in order to protect themselves from deliberate acts of violence.

The emergency repatriation operation involved community sensitization, individual registration of those interested, pre-departure medical screening, as well as transport to the airport. Once arrived in Chad, they received cash grants in order to facilitate their re-integration. Preparations are ongoing for future repatriations of refugees in Bangui as well as a group of 6,000 Congolese refugees south of Bangui in Batalimo.

by: Hugo Reichenberger reichenb@unhcr.org