VZCZCXRO7126
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0330/01 1451658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251658Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1085
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV SL
SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE PASSES NEW REFUGEE ACT 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) On May 16, PolOff met with representatives from UNHCR 
to discuss Parliament's recent passage of a new Refugee Act 
and to receive an update on the current status of Liberian 
refugees in Sierra Leone. On May 3, Parliament passed a new 
Refugee Act that creates a legal framework for the GoSL to 
assume responsibility for determining the legal status of 
individuals applying for asylum in Sierra Leone. UNHCR 
officials said as of May 8, there were 20,814 Liberians in 
eight camps located in the south western part of the country 
in Bo and Kenema districts. There is an additional urban 
refugee caseload consisting of some 5,000 refugees in the 
towns of Freetown, Bo, and Kenema. Three options currently 
exist to address the refugee situation in Sierra Leone: 1) 
repatriation to the country of origin; 2) local integration; 
and 3) resettlement to a third country. However, with the 
recent return of stability in Liberia, repatriation remains 
the key durable solution for the current caseload. UNHCR will 
provide assistance to increase absorption capacity in refugee 
hosting areas in Sierra Leone. END SUMMARY. 
 
PARLIAMENT PASSES REFUGEE LAW 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) On May 3, Parliament passed the Refugees Protection 
Act. UNHCR has worked with the GoSL since 2002 to enact a 
national refugee law and was instrumental in ensuring passage 
of the legislation. UNHCR officials pointed out the new law 
provides a legal framework that will enable the GoSL to 
assume responsibility for determining the legal status of 
individuals applying for asylum, a role which the UNHCR had 
played in the past. The new law also calls for the 
establishment of a national refugee authority, implementing 
agency, and appellate authority. UNHCR officials noted the 
GoSL will need additional assistance to create these 
institutions and train personnel to staff them. 
 
THOSE WHO DECIDED TO RETURN TO LIBERIA 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) UNHCR records show that, since October 2004, 21,495 
refugees spontaneously returned to Liberia while UNHCR 
assisted another 23,378 refugees to return. The bulk of the 
population (69 percent) has returned to Lofa county, followed 
by Grand Cape Mount (19 percent) and the remaining 12 percent 
to other counties, including Gbapolu and, Monteserado, and 
the rest of the counties. 
 
¶4. (U) In the past, returning refugees have typically 
traveled between the November to April dry season, as the May 
to October rainy season, coupled with poor road conditions, 
have hampered voluntary repatriation. 
Remaining refugees cite four main reasons for not opting for 
voluntary repatriation: 1) lack of adequate schools and free 
education in Liberia; 2) lack of adequate medical facilities 
in the counties of return; 3) sporadic cases of insecurity in 
the counties of return with no tangible police presence to 
protect returnees; and 4) unavailability of legal mechanisms 
to address matters relating to restitution of property. 
 
¶5. (U) Mass voluntary repatriation to Liberia is scheduled to 
end June 30, 2007, when assistance in Sierra Leone will be 
phased out. Food assistance will end (although assistance 
will continue to vulnerable individuals) and education 
assistance will gradually cease. Health provisions will 
remain in place until the end of December 2007. 
 
AND THOSE WHO DECIDED TO STAY IN SIERRA LEONE 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Using data compiled from an intentions survey of 4,830 
refugees conducted in early 2007, UNHCR estimates that 
between 11,000 - 12,000 Liberian refugees may seek to 
integrate locally in Sierra Leone, although that figure could 
be much higher. According to UNHCR officials, GoSL officials 
are amenable to local integration, and UNHCR has held 
discussions with GoSL officials in refugee hosting areas. 
UNHCR noted some 3,500 Sierra Leonean refugees will be 
locally integrated into Liberia. 
 
¶7. (U) UNHCR plans in the last half of 2007 and during the 
year 2008 to support the GoSL to increase the absorption 
capacity in the refugee hosting areas through community 
support programs. Specific support will include efforts to: 
1) assistance to key line ministries at district levels in 
the water, sanitation, education and health sectors; 2) 
increase refugees' self-reliance by promoting income 
generation self-reliance projects in agriculture; 3) provide 
 
FREETOWN 00000330  002 OF 002 
 
 
support to expand current school facilities; 4) provide 
skills training; and 5) rehabilitate refugee camp areas. 
 
RESETTLEMENT 
------------ 
 
¶8. (U) Liberian refugees have been resettled mainly in the 
United States, Canada, and Australia. Between 2005-2006, 
UNHCR resettled nearly 1,400 Liberians in the United States. 
It expects to resettle another 250 in the U.S. over the next 
two years. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Although the UNHCR program is scheduled to run 
through 2009, there is cause for concern whether the GoSL 
possesses sufficient capacity to establish the structures set 
forth by the new law to integrate refugees following the June 
30 deadline. Significant assistance from UNHCR will be 
necessary to increase the country's absorption capacity and 
overcome the challenges brought about by continuing fiscal 
woes and poorly-trained, ill-paid and unmotivated public 
servants. Implementation of this new law will likely be 
similar to the struggles the GoSL has encountered in 
executing programs to combat trafficking in persons following 
the 2005 passage of the Anti-Trafficking law in 2005. 
However, the GoSL should be commended for passing this needed 
legislation. END COMMENT. 
HULL