From shadow to recognition: how birth registration restores refugee identities
From shadow to recognition: how birth registration restores refugee identities
Aline Nyirarukundo, a Congolese refugee in Kiziba camp, was able to register her baby at the health centre’s maternity ward, allowing her to return home with the birth certificate.
In Rwanda, the birth registration and certification rate for refugee children below the age of five has improved significantly over the last few years – the coverage stands at 99.5% – thanks to refugee inclusion in the national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).
For Aline Nyirarukundo, a 29-year-old Congolese refugee residing in Kiziba camp, the new birth registration system has been a game-changer for her family. Her daughter, Lavenda Isheja, born in June 2024, was registered at the health centre’s maternity ward, allowing her to return home with the birth certificate.
According to the mother of two, this document is not just a piece of paper; it is a key to accessing humanitarian assistance and establishing the child's legal identity.
“As a mother, making sure my child’s birth is registered gives me peace,” Aline says, adding that birth registration is important because it helps children get the chances they deserve.
Aline notes that the birth registration process has been made easier. Unlike her firstborn, whose birth certificate took weeks to obtain, Aline was able to register Lavenda’s birth right at the health center's maternity ward.
In August 2020, the Government of Rwanda launched a new digital national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system. This development has streamlined the process of obtaining vital documentation for newborns directly at the health facilities where the children are born, providing a crucial lifeline for families within refugee camps.
In line with the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) commitments, efforts were made to ensure that not only all newborns are issued with a birth certificate, but that all refugees born in Rwanda irrespective of their age had their birth registered and certified. In Kiziba, Kigeme, Nyabiheke and Mugombwa refugee camps, this has been already achieved, irrespective of their age.
This partnership has been instrumental in facilitating the registration and certification process within the camps, ensuring that no refugee is left without the essential proof of identity and ultimately preventing statelessness.
Thanks to refugee inclusion in the national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, Innocent Shyaka, 23, was able to be registered and got his birth certificate last May.
Rwanda is hosting mainly protracted refugees from DRC and Burundi, with a total of 34% of the refugee population having been born in Rwanda. In Kiziba Camp, one of the most protracted camps in Rwanda 57% have been born in Rwanda.
Innocent Shyaka, 23, spent his entire life in Kiziba refugee camp without an official birth record until last May, when he received his birth certificate. For years, his identity was overshadowed by the absence of this vital documentation. Now, holding his birth certificate, he finally feels acknowledged as a Congolese citizen.
“When a person has complete documentation, they have full details of who they are – with my ID and birth certificate, I can confidently say that I am a fully recognized Congolese refugee,” says Innocent.
This recognition marks a turning point in Innocent's life. The birth certificate not only confirms his identity but also opens new possibilities for him within his host community and beyond.
“Having this document allows me to move forward with my life in ways I couldn’t before,” he points out. “By law, my age allows me get married, and I can’t do it legally without having a birth certificate.”
For refugees like Innocent and Aline, birth registration is not just an administrative process but a fundamental step toward reclaiming their place in the world.