According to the Botswana Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2022 complied by the United States Department of State, the Botswana government generally cooperates with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organisations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers and other people of concern. “The system for granting refugee status was accessible but slow. The government generally provided protection against the expulsion or return of persons to countries where their lives or freedom would be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,” reads the report. The report further states that asylum seekers are held at the FCII detention facility until the Refugee Advisory Committee, a government body, makes a refugee status determination. The committee meets quarterly, and UNHCR representatives participate as observers and technical advisers.
Additionally, the government applies the principle of first country of asylum. This means that in previous years, it detained individuals who had refugee status in a third country and then claimed asylum. Regarding freedom of movement, the report reveals that as a general policy, all registered refugees must reside in Dukwi Refugee Camp under a strict encampment policy. “The government may issue a residence permit to remain outside the camp in exceptional cases, such as for refugees enrolled at a university, in need of specialised medical care, or with unique skills. In August 2022, UNHCR reported that most of the country’s 841 registered refugees were living in the Dukwi Refugee Camp and did not have the right to work outside the camp,” states the report.
