Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe has made progress in implementing its commitments to improving the welfare of refugees in the country, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha, has said.
Deputy Minister Dinha said this in her presentation on Tuesday at the 2025 Global Refugees Forum (GRF) Progress Review in Geneva, Switzerland.
The GRF began on Monday and ends on Thursday.
“In light of the commitments that Zimbabwe made at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, I am happy to highlight that we have made significant progress in implementing our six pledges as follows: In line with the GCR’s objective of “promoting self reliance,” the Government has availed 175 hectares of irrigable land, benefiting 590 refugee farmers who now have full access to the land. This initiative supports the nutritional needs of refugee families and the Tongogara Refugee Community at large.
“Access to civil documentation remains a priority for the Government of Zimbabwe, with refugees now receiving machine-readable refugee passports, identity cards and birth certificates. To increase flexibility, Government extended the validity of the refugee ID in 2024 from two to five years, aligning it with the refugee passport’s duration.
“In a bid to safeguard access to asylum rights, the Government of Zimbabwe has gone a step ahead in aligning the Zimbabwe Refugees Act with the current global trends, legislative adjustments and critical declarations that seek to promote the welfare of refugees and asylum seekers. The ongoing review is focused on promoting access to integration opportunities, promoting working rights, and inclusion of refugees in sports and social protection. It is in line with the Global Compact for Refugees’ principle of ‘humanity’ that refugees in Zimbabwe are included in national social protection programs,” she said.
Deputy Minister Dinha added that as a matter of good practice, Zimbabwe has integrated these pledges into the national economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy in its two phases both of which are being implemented from 2021-2030.
“We are working toward a prosperous, upper middle income society by 2030, focusing on macroeconomic stability, infrastructure, human capital and inclusive growth. Chairperson, our current achievements have been made possible through collaborative engagements with your esteemed Office representation in Zimbabwe and other development partners operating in the country. Through the principle of ‘responsibility sharing’, Zimbabwe is progressively extending protection interventions to at least 13 896 refugees and asylum seekers. We remain open to further partnerships and purposeful collaboration to advance international protection,” she said.
The Minister called on donors to match the pledges the country made in 2023 as it continues to spare no effort in meeting its protection obligations.
Deputy Minister Dinha said ending wars around the globe was the best way of resolving the issue of refugees.
