Lusaka – The Zambia government on Monday said it was rolling out a comprehensive refuge framework aimed at ensuring peaceful co-existence between the hosting communities and refugees.
Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo said the programme was meant to reduce tension between refugees and communities.
Kampyongo added that the current tension occurred because some refugee camps had social amenities which were not available in communities.
He said that the government was of the view that social amenities accorded to refugees should be shared with hosting communities to reduce social tensions.
According to him, the government was implementing a programme of local integration of refugees who were not willing to go back to their countries of origin.
The minister added that the government has since embarked on extensive awareness and intensive investigations before refugees could be integrated in local communities.
Zambia is hosting about 84,000 refugees from some neighbouring countries in refugee camps.
(Xinhua/NAN)