GICUMBI - A total of 3915 Congolese refugees at Gihembe camp have started receiving Refugee Identity Cards.

The officer-in-charge of refugees and nationality affairs at the Migration head office, Jean Damascène Rusanganwa, launched the issuing of the identification cards on Wednesday, at the camp.

"At the start of the exercise three refugees were given identity cards, while 500 refugees are expected to receive theirs later,” said Gicumbi district immigration Officer Vénant Ruterana.

Ruterana further said the issuing of refugee cards would take two weeks.

"The refugee students studying outside the camp will receive their refugee IDs during the school holidays,” he added.

Separately, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Refugees, Innocent Ngango, explained that the IDs remain property of the Rwandan government and will be withdrawn at the time of repatriation of the holders to their country of origin.

"The IDs are meant to act as identification documents for refugees, during their stay in Rwanda which will be withdrawn when they are repatriated to their mother country,” said Ngango.

The chairman of Gihembe refugee camp, Jean Nsengiyera hailed the government for taking the initiative to issue them with IDs.

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