Briefing on our meeting with UNHCR Protection Officer in Kinshasa: UNHCR always wants to defend itself rather than taking up the responsibility

Briefing on our meeting with UNHCR Protection Officer in Kinshasa on Thursday June 4^th, 2026

Our staff members interacted with UNHCR Protection in Kinshasa, this was the first meeting with UNHCR Team which focused on issues around the protection of refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We also shared ideas on the preparation of the World Refugee Day which is commemorated on June 20^th of each year.

About the commemoration of June 20^th the World Refugee Day we wished to know about plans being put in place by UNHCR so that we may not coincide and create unhealthy competition. We were referred to the CNR Officer who is coordinating the meeting and we shall meet next week in order to harmonize.

On the protection of refugees, we put to the table the following:

The registration of refugees: We presented cases in which thousands of refugees and asylum seekers were denied chance to register as asylum seekers and this was general in the whole country, however we presented cases in North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika and Haut-Katanga Provinces. In the same way we also presented cases of asylum seekers who have been waiting for a refugee status for more than 10 years now, and the failure to recognize the refugee status for all those who fled the genocide in Rwanda among others.

As usual, in response the UNHCR Protection officer pointed out the same things of being at the side of the Government and cannot replace the Government while the Government spokesperson claimed that they delegated refugee issues to UNHCR and CNR which is the government body in-charge of refugees claiming it does not have money and that it is waiting for funding from UNHCR, in this way no one wants to own responsibilities and at the same time refugees are suffering. He again denied what we said but because of the facts on our possessions, he could not continue argument, claiming he will find out from his colleagues on ground. We pointed the CNR officers in Lubumbashi for example who refuse to register Somalis asylum seekers on ground that are economic migrants looking for better opportunities, an allegation which we strongly contest especially that it was not the role of CNR Lubumbashi to determine who is an economic migrant and who is a refugee, and there is no evidence that they are economic migrants.

We also presented the issue of refugee documents which are not recognized by all actors at all levels and observed that not much has been in order to inform government, local leaders, the population and the private sector about the need to observe refugee documents. In the same way issues around CTD came in and the officer claimed that they are being given to refugees a reality which we contested and suggested him to share this information to the entire refugee population.

Hot discussions turned around durable solutions and specially the political move to repatriate refugees rather than considering other better alternatives in DRC and in terms of resettlement, we observed that repatriations have been forced since 2010, issues of refugee status cessation clause was also discussed and regretted that DRC is drawn into such a political agenda which does not benefit to refugees.

We also engaged more on issues of the policies and the massive violations of the laws governing refugees in place by the very institutions mandated to protect them, and presented the need to change the current DRC refugee law. In this way we had a diverse view on who a refugee is and this is one among the challenges both UNHCR and CNR have, claiming that one is refugee once granted a status by the government, a position which we challenged and presented the definition which is fund in the Conventions.

UNHCR blames

As usual UNHCR Protection of officer argued that we do not have the mandate to engage on refugee issues, that we lack knowledge and that we rejected offers from UNHCR to train us in terms of capacity building, and that we are in the opposition in order to get funding from donors.

We are familiar with these arguments and they do not hold, we engaged him and presented issues which could not be overlooked.

On the question legitimacy:

We are the very ones who keep refugees in our communities, we are the real protection officers despite the fact that no has ever told us what to do but because we are human we manage to live with them in harmony, as an organization we are fully registered by the government and have the mandate to do this work, but also refugees are part of the civil society who are supposed to enjoy our support. The current DRC legal regime is based on information but not on asking for permission as UNHCR may pretend it.

On the issue of knowledge

Once again we reject the supremacy of knowledge and intellectual arrogance where UNHCR staffs pretend to be the owners of knowledge, and more difficult for us we suspected UNHCR in DRC not able to deliver accurate information on refugee issues, we have instead proposed forums where knowledge is shared in terms of dialogue and reflexion rather than training sessions.

On the issue of funding

We reminded UNHCR Officer that we get funding from the very same donors who fund UNHCR and our works is based on the failure of UNHCR to do better. We requested UNHCR to do its work better and protect very well all refugees then we shall no longer exist.

Thanks