Papua New Guinea forges ahead to implement Global Refugee Forum pledges
Papua New Guinea forges ahead to implement Global Refugee Forum pledges
Dr Eric Kwa, Secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG) and Chair of the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (ICSA) Board, Papua New Guinea, speaks at the inaugural working group meeting.
The historic meeting, held on 26 November 2024 in Loloata, brought together five government departments, UNHCR and civil society observers to map out pathways to implement the three pledges.
In opening remarks tabled at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Immigration and Border Security John Rosso said the inaugural meeting of the Inter-Governmental Working Group marked “a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards fulfilling our commitments and continuing to enhance the lives of refugees in our country.”
“Our nation has a proud history of hosting refugees, including our West Papuan brothers and sisters, for over four decades. This tradition of generosity, hospitality and support is deeply rooted in our shared values and our commitment to upholding the principles of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol,” said Mr Rosso.
“These pledges strengthen Papua New Guinea’s position as a leader in refugee protection in the region.”
Papua New Guinea (PNG) made three pledges at the latest Global Refugee Forum, addressing issues for the longer standing refugee caseload of West Papuans and improving protection for the increasing number of refugees and asylum-seekers who have come from further afield in recent years.
The three inter-related pledges are:
- National Asylum Seeker and Refugee card to be issued to those without documents;
- Interim Humanitarian Status Visa to grant temporary residence to asylum-seekers, legalise their status and enable access to healthcare services, education and employment; and
- Resolution of the status of West Papuans, ensuring a pathway to naturalization and local integration. This will be done by undertaking legal reform to enable the prima facie refugee status recognition of recent and future West Papuan asylum seeker arrivals, and by ensuring the prompt naturalization of West Papuans who meet nationality requirements.
UNHCR’s Senior Protection Officer in Port Moresby Mr Steven Paniu said PNG stood out as the only country in the Pacific pledging at the Global Refugee Forum.
“These pledges strengthen Papua New Guinea’s position as a leader in refugee protection in the region,” said Mr Paniu.
“The new inter-agency working group provides a unique and important platform for government agencies and others helping refugees to come together on forced migration and asylum issues, even beyond the technical implementation of pledges.”
Three technical Working Subgroups have been established to develop roadmaps for each of the pledges. The draft roadmaps will be presented to the next meeting of the Inter-Governmental Working Group in late January 2025.
The Inter-Governmental Working Group for the Implementation of Papua New Guinea’s Global Refugee Forum Pledges includes the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (ICSA) as Chair, the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (NEC) as Co-Chair, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as Secretariat. Other agencies include the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Constitutional Law and Reform Commission (CLRC), the Department of Community Development and Religion (DfCDR), the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLLGA) and the Department of Lands and Physical Planning (DLPP).
