The ongoing refugee biometric registration in Douala is being carried out in a calm and serene atmosphere with some 5,000 of the 10,000 refugees residing in Douala already registered. To encourage the exercise that will reassure the peaceful stay of refugees in the region and secure the lives of nationals, Governor Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua led a heavy delegation of administrative authorities to the biometric identification centre yesterday. 

Flanked by Staff of United Nations High Commission for Refugees, HNHCR, the Governor and his entourage were shown round the centre beginning with the Red Cross Service that has given first aid to many refugees since the exercise started.  They were taken to the Admission Post where database verification is done to ensure that the actual picture of a refugee matches with that in the machine.

The next stop at the Biometric Verification Post ensures the refugee has not been registered in a different country. Chrislain Fogain, UNHCR staff in charge of Registration and Documentation said in cases where they have been registered in another country, they are asked to choose where they want to settle after which HCR Cameroon communicates the choice to the country they first registered in. The delegation also saw the Interview Post where questions about refugee’s personal information and country of origin are asked.

They later on moved to the Centre’s Protection Post where legal assistance is given to refugees with court cases and family squabbles. Community Service Post where children without birth certificates and those not schooling are taken care of was visited before the Biometric Identification Post where iris, finger prints among others are taken and sent to the control room for the printing of attestations and Refugee Identification Cards.

At the end of the visit, Ivaha Diboua qualified the exercise as essential, saying the computerised data that will permit UNHCR know the exact number of refugees in Cameroon and Africa is as well good for the security of all and sundry.