Background and Rationale:
The BSG continued with the closure of Dalori I and II camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the greater Maiduguri area in July and August 2022. This follows the previous closure of 6 IDPs camps between May 2021 and January 2022 as part of the BSG’s camp closure plan. In August 2022, the BSG announced that it will also close all IDP camps in the Local Government Areas (LGAs). This Advocacy Note, developed by the Protection Sector North-East Nigeria, serves to outline key facts and highlight protection concerns, as identified by a range of protection actors working with affected populations, in relation to the closures of Dalori I and II and accompanying IDP return/relocation movements within the greater Maiduguri area and into different Local Government Areas (LGAs). It also provides recommendations for key stakeholders regarding the actions needed to ensure the rights of the affected population are upheld throughout the camp closures and returns/relocation processes, in line with national, regional and global standards and in support of truly durable solutions.
Key Messages
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As citizens of Nigeria, IDPs in Borno state and elsewhere have the right to reside in any location of their choice within the country. Consequently, the BSG should support IDPs in seeking their preferred solution to their internal displacement – be it return to their area of origin, integration within the location of displacement or in any other location within Nigeria – in compliance with national, regional, and international standards and in line with the rights of IDPs and in support of truly durable, lasting solutions to displacement.
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The BSG has used a new modality of conditional, two-staged cash assistance, which lacks clarity on the second stage of the cash distribution process, causing security concerns, and bears the risk of creating negative pull factors that undermine the IDPs’ ability to make decisions in a voluntary manner. Continuing practices from previous camp closures also further put into question the principles of informed consent, safety, dignity and sustainability for returns/relocations from Dalori I and II IDP camps.
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The current approach to returns/relocations has exacerbated IDPs’ exposure to protection risks, among them unsolved Housing, Land and Property (HLP) issues including lack of access to land and secondary occupancy/displacement as well as injuries and fatalities due to mine contamination. A lack of access to basic services in areas of return/relocation is also creating new protection risks while perpetuating humanitarian needs.