Thousands of Congolese refugees begin returning home from exile as of recent times. After years of exile in Zambia, the United Nations refugee agency reports that approximately 6,000 Congolese refugees have received assistance in returning home since December 2021.A tripartite agreement was reached in 2006 by the UNHCR, the governments of Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which served as the foundation for the voluntary return of Congolese refugees.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Boris Cheshirkov stated that, refugees have been issued with voluntary repatriation documents and they also obtained expedited immigration clearance. According to his data, children account for 60% of those refugees that are now returning home from exile. These children have been issued birth certificates in order to prove their identities, and the UNHCR is providing the returning refugees with cash assistance in order to help them cover basic expenses upon their arrivals back home, as well as pay for transportation methods to meet their ultimate destinations. The Congolese refugees have expressed excitement and triumph about returning home because they get to reunite with their family and friends as well as start their lives anew.
