On November 25, 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) emphasized the need for increased international support for the modest yet significant return of refugees to the Central African Republic (CAR), a nation recovering from a prolonged crisis.
Currently, over 664,000 Central African refugees reside in neighboring countries. The UNHCR reports that voluntary repatriation and socioeconomic integration efforts must be significantly scaled up to ensure the lasting success of these programs.
Since 2017, the UNHCR and its partners have facilitated the voluntary return of over 49,000 refugees from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, with an additional 300,000 expected to return by 2028. In 2024 alone, more than 15,000 refugees have returned.
Despite these advancements, current forecasts indicate that without substantial increases in funding and support, the voluntary repatriation program could take over a century to bring all Central African refugees back home.
The progress achieved demonstrates that collaboration can yield results. In areas like Bria, Kaga Bandoro, and Baoro, internally displaced persons are rebuilding their lives due to improved infrastructure, access to essential services, and income-generating opportunities. However, challenges remain immense. CAR ranks 188th out of 189 in the Human Development Index, facing widespread food insecurity, fragile social cohesion, and a lack of basic services in return areas.
Launched in 2023, the CAR Solutions Support Platform is a multilateral initiative led by the CAR government with UNHCR and international partners. It aims to address the complex challenges of forced displacement through three pillars: voluntary repatriation, reintegration in CAR, and socioeconomic integration for those who choose to remain in host countries. The platform supports initiatives such as issuing identity documents to facilitate access to rights, improving livelihoods, and building local capacities to support returnees and host communities.
Fafa Olivier, UNHCR representative in CAR, stated, "Every step we take—whether helping a family return to CAR or supporting a refugee to rebuild their life in a host country—demonstrates that solutions are within reach. But the scale of need requires more partners, more resources, and stronger commitments."
For those who may return, delays mean prolonged exile, interrupted lives, and lost opportunities to contribute to the recovery of their communities. For host countries, continued pressure on resources risks undermining their ongoing generosity.
UNHCR calls on donors, governments, and development partners to strengthen their commitments. An estimated $234 million is needed to fund infrastructure, documentation, livelihood support, energy access, environmental protection, and essential services for the return and reintegration of 300,000 returnees by 2028. Without immediate action, another generation risks being condemned to exile and dependency. The future of Central African refugees depends on the choices made today.