REFUGEE COORDINATING UNIT

This Unit was established by Section of Refugee Act 1983.

The Unit’s mandate is to manage Refugees and Asylum related matters in Lesotho. The unit also coordinates internally displaced people in the country.

The Unit is also mandated with:

Migration Development

• Coordination of migration issues in Lesotho through National Consultative Committee (NCC) on migration and Development.
• Coordination of internally displacement in Lesotho.Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants

• Coordination of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) activities through Multi-Sectoral Committee on TIP.
• Management of TIP Data Collection tool which is based in the TIP Secretariat in the Ministry of Home Affairs. It should be noted that this a regional tool which is administered by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Pretoria.

Legal Framework:

ACT	BRIEF
1. Anti -Trafficking in Persons Act, 2011	The Act domesticates the UN Convention against Transnational Crime, 2000 and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, both to which Lesotho is a party. – This Act provides for prohibition and prevention of trafficking in persons, and prosecution of its perpetrators by providing offences and their penalties and preventive measures thereto. – The Act also governs stay of the victims of trafficking and their repatriation where applicable. – It provides that even the proceeds of trafficking should be confiscated, and it establishes the fund especially for the victims of trafficking.
2. Anti -Trafficking in Persons Regulations, 2015	– They implement Anti -Trafficking in Persons Act and provide for forms used in the execution of this law
3. Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism Act, 2018	-This is an Act that domesticates international instruments relating to combatting terrorism. – It provides for prevention and suppression of terrorism and its connected acts.
4. Refugee Act, 1983	– The Act regulates matters relating to asylum seekers and refugees. It regulates the status of asylum seekers and determination of refugee status. It establishes a Unit and a Committee responsible for these issues. 5.
5. Refugee Regulations, 1986	– They implement Refugee Act, 1983 and provides for forms used in the execution of this law.
6. National Flag Act, 2006	– The Act provides for National Flag, its colours and what they symbolize.
7. Public Holidays Act, 1995	-The Act provides for national holidays to be observed in the country and allows the King, on the advice of the Minister of Home Affairs to appoint any other day as a public holiday

CONVENTIONS RELATED TO REFUGEES

1951 Refugee Convention relating to the Status of Refugees( https://www.unhcr.org/5d9ed32b4)

African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (KAMPALA CONVENTION) (https://www.unhcr.org/about-us/background/4ae9bede9/african-union-convention-protection-assistance-internally-displaced-persons.html )

Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (https://www.unhcr.org/protection/basic/3b66c2aa10/convention-protocol-relating-status-refugees.html )

Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/1961-Convention-on-the-reduction-of-Statelessness_ENG.pdf )

Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless (https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/1954-Convention-relating-to-the-Status-of-Stateless-Persons_ENG.pdf )

Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 (https://www.unhcr.org/4d93528a9.pdf)

Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/protocolrefugees.pdf)

OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (https://www.unhcr.org/about-us/background/45dc1a682/oau-convention-governing-specific-aspects-refugee-problems-africa-adopted.html )
UNHCR_UPR21_LSO_E_Main (https://www.refworld.org/docid/514ac48c2.html)

 

CELEBRATION COORDINATING UNIT:

The Office is charged with coordinating and organizing State and Official visits and funerals. The Office may also be assigned to facilitate other events which Cabinet deemed official. The office’s core business is to coordinate and facilitate four standing National events, thus:

1. Moshoeshoe’s Day, commemorated – 11th March
2. King’s Birthday – 17th July,
3. Independence Day – 4th October.
4. Armistice Day – 2nd Sunday of November.