Attachments
Working environment
The context
Djibouti receives both migrants and asylum-seekers, most of them driven by violent conflict, insecurity, lawlessness and dire economic conditions in neighbouring countries. Armed disputes are continuing unabated in south and central Somalia. Social and political problems in Eritrea have contributed to the displacement of people outside the country, many of them finding refuge in Djibouti. Meanwhile, human rights violations in Oromya and Ogadeni regions of Ethiopia have sent thousands of people into exile. Djibouti remains a country at crossroads between traditional migration routes and forced displacement.
A continuing drought has led to alarmingly high malnutrition rates in Djibouti, which ranks among the countries hardest hit by the global food crisis. The economic downturn and hikes in the prices of basic foodstuffs have led to drastic reductions in th purchasing power of many households and the erosion of their coping mechanisms.
The needs
Refugees do not have free access to the local job market and lack opportunities for self-employment, preventing them from becoming self-reliant or integrating into local communities.
There is a need for documentation and the adjudication of statusdetermination claims. While refugees from Somalia are granted refugee status on a prima facie basis, those from Eritrea, Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries must undergo individual refugee status determination (RSD) interviews. Many cases are pending due to delays in the status determination process. This situation has left thousands at risk of refoulement as asylum-seekers are not provided with identity documents.