Case studies to showcase PING

Together with the Government of Ethiopia, UNHCR has created legal opportunities for refugees and asylum-seekers to access services through inclusion in the Ethiopian National Digital ID system. PING is used to exchange data between national authorities and UNHCR to issue identity cards to refugees and asylum-seekers, which now include a unique government identification number called “Fayda” and a QR code. This has put the refugee ID card on par with national Ethiopian ID and those issued to foreigners legally residing in Ethiopia. The new refugee and asylum-seeker ID cards are recognized across the country and can be used to access services provided by the government, public institutions, and private companies – facilitating inclusion. Refugees and asylum-seekers no longer need a letter of support from the government for every service they want to access – and can now open a bank account, register a SIM card, or start their own business using the new digital IDs instead.