LUANDA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Angolan Migration and Foreigners Service (SME) on Friday pledged to continue supporting refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are settled in the Lovua refugee camp in the northern province of Lunda Norte, even after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) closes its operations in the country.
In a press release for World Refugee Day, the SME said that efforts to regularize the refugees' status in Angola will continue.
The SME said that its top priority is issuing personal identification documents to refugees in the Lovua camp, which are essential for promoting the refugees' dignity, legal protection and socioeconomic integration.
"The government of Angola thus reaffirms its commitment to the principles of solidarity and shared responsibility, promoting lasting solutions for refugees in accordance with national legislation and international conventions to which the country is a party," the statement said.
Speaking at the World Refugee Day event, Emmanuelle Mitte, the UNHCR representative in Angola, said that other nations should follow Angola's example so that people forced to flee their countries due to political, military, and ethnic conflicts can find refuge, safety, hope and welcome.
At the end of May, the UNHCR announced that, due to financial constraints, it will begin closing its offices in Angola starting in the final quarter of this year.
Angola hosts more than 56,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ■