Somalia’s Federal Parliament has finally passed Bills outlining measures to be taken to manage internally displaced persons and refugees.
The Bills which were first submitted to the Parliament in 2013, were introduced by the government to improve the lives of the Somali refugees in neighbouring countries and internal displaced ones.
Chaired by Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Mr Jeylani Nur, 155 of the 156 members of the Parliament unanimously voted in favour of the Bills.
Passing of the Refugees Bill comes at a crucial time as the process of Somali refugees in Kenya repatriation is under process. The passing of the Bill is expected to ease the process.
Somalia has witnessed over two decades of conflict, violence, human rights violations and natural disasters, all of which have triggered repeated waves of displacement.
According to statistic by aid organizations, there are still an estimated 1.1 million Somalis – approximately a tenth of the population – who are internally displaced. Most internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to live in dire conditions in protracted displacement.
