Concern over unregistered refugees

Zambia faced a refugee crisis as tens of thousands of people who escaped war in neighbouring countries continued to stay there without proper identification, an AFP report quoted a government official as saying on Monday. According to the report, Zambia sheltered more than 250,000 refugees, mostly from neighbouring Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where protracted civil wars had forced people to flee to safety. Acting permanent secretary in the ministry of home affairs, Kafula Ngandu, was quoted as saying that about 130,000 of the refugees were scattered throughout Zambia without identification particulars and continued "to be a source of concern to government". The report said that in the past refugees - most of whom had no proper identification - had been arrested and detained, especially in urban areas, for violating Zambia's immigration laws. Ngandu said the government was looking at ways of enforcing registration for all refugees. He said the government had developed identity cards for refugees living in urban areas to assist in their protection.