Auleria Wakudumo
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security says Angolan street kids roaming Namibian streets do not qualify for refugee status.
The ministry clarified that Angolan nationals, including adults and children currently living on the streets in various parts of the country do not qualify to be recognised and registered as refugees under Namibia’s refugee laws and international conventions governing refugee protection.
In an interview with New Era on Friday, the ministry’s executive director Nghidinua Daniel explained that Namibia’s Refugees (Recognition and Control) Act, together with the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, clearly defines who qualifies for refugee status. The Act defines a refugee as a person forced to flee his or her country and unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.
“Based on the definition above, the Angolan children who are seen roaming the streets in Namibia are not refugees. Available information indicates that these children and accompanying adults, in some cases, left their country of birth primarily in search of better socio-economic opportunities,” Nghidinua said.
The seasoned executive said there are currently approximately 6 916 asylum seekers and recognised refugees living in Namibia.
These individuals originate from several countries, including Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Palestine, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
According to the statistics provided to New Era, nationals from the DRC constitute the largest refugee population in Namibia, accounting for 6 136 individuals.
On the other hand, Bangladesh, Palestine, Malawi, South Sudan and Ukraine each account for only one registered asylum seeker or refugee in the country.
Nghidinua also revealed that some of the longest-serving refugees in Namibia have been residing in the country since the mid-1990s.
Furthermore, the current national exercise being conducted among refugees and asylum seekers in Namibia is focused solely on verification and not the registration of new asylum applications.
It also aims to verify asylum seekers and recognised refugees already residing in Namibia to ensure accurate records and proper administration of refugee affairs.
The ministry carried out the verification of asylum seekers and refugees from 27 April to 15 May 2026 at Osire Settlement and from 11 to 13 May 2026 in Windhoek. The ministry stressed that no new asylum claims are being registered during the verification process.
Instead, new asylum applications are only processed at the Katima Mulilo reception area in Zambezi. It serves as Namibia’s official first point of reception, registration and screening for people seeking asylum and refugee status.
After screening and registration procedures are completed, asylum seekers are transported to the Osire Refugee Settlement. Osire remains the only officially designated refugee settlement in Namibia.
The ministry further clarified that besides the Osire Refugee Settlement, Namibia does not have any other refugee camps or settlements designated for accommodating asylum seekers and refugees.
The Osire settlement therefore remains the central location for the accommodation and administration of recognised refugees and asylum seekers in the country, he added.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and asylum seekers in Namibia through a cash-based intervention programme.
The programme was introduced after food and non-food item assistance was phased out, allowing beneficiaries to receive financial support to purchase necessities.
However, the ministry noted that UNHCR is currently experiencing funding constraints globally, which has resulted in a significant reduction in cash assistance provided to refugees in Namibia.
Regardless, the government and the Commission for Refugees are nevertheless continuing engagements with stakeholders while exploring alternative means of support for asylum seekers and recognised refugees residing in the country.