# For refugees in Cameroon, digital IDs are a life changer
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-08-30
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Refugees in Cameroon receiving biometrics-based IDs for
Meta Description: Refugees in Cameroon, including Shelley Teckombi Yazembrou from CAR, now have biometric IDs to access services like education, healthcare and jobs.
URL: https://financedigest.com/for-refugees-in-cameroon-digital-ids-are-a-life-changerhtml

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By Maikem Emmanuela

YAOUNDE (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – As a refugee in Cameroon, Shelley Teckombi Yazembrou struggled for nearly seven years to open a bank account, or even move around freely, simply because she did not have a national identity card.

That changed in June, thanks to a pilot programme by Cameroon’s government and the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) to issue 6,000 refugees from Central African Republic (CAR) with biometrics-based IDs to help them access basic services.

Now they have the identity cards, Central Africans in the eastern Gado-Badzéré camp – where Teckombi Yazembrou lives – and the Mandjou area are starting to access education, jobs, healthcare, and [travel around](https://www.financedigest.com/5-time-efficient-ways-to-travel-around-the-philippines.html "5 Time-Efficient Ways to Travel Around the Philippines") without fear of arrest.

Having the ID card has really helped me,” said Teckombi Yazembrou, 34, who [works as a community organiser](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-based-bitfount-raises-5m-seed-to-streamline-collaboration-between-organisations-working-with-sensitive-datasets.html "UK-based Bitfount raises M seed to streamline collaboration between organisations working with sensitive datasets."), helping aid agencies and local authorities assist nearly 30,0000 Central African refugees at the camp.

It isn’t as good as Cameroonian nationality, but I’m still grateful,” she told the [Thomson Reuters](https://www.financedigest.com/thomson-reuters-keeps-outlook-but-wary-of-slowing-economy.html "Thomson Reuters keeps outlook, but wary of slowing economy") Foundation.

Violence in CAR has forced more than 700,0000 people to [leave the country](https://www.financedigest.com/new-research-reveals-the-countries-leaving-cash-behind.html "New research reveals the countries leaving cash behind") since rebels ousted then-President François Bozizé in 2013 , according to UNHCR. About half of them found refuge in neighbouring Cameroon, mostly in eastern and northern regions.

Without a legal ID, refugees across the continent often suffer discrimination and abuse https://news.trust.org/item/20220802152924-qud6e, human rights [groups say](https://www.financedigest.com/saipem-shares-drop-group-says-cannot-explain-why.html "Saipem shares drop, group says cannot explain why").

Cameroon – which hosts about half a million refugees in all – [joins a handful of African nations](https://www.financedigest.com/onespan-joins-national-cyber-security-alliance-data-privacy-day.html "OneSpan Joins the National Cyber Security Alliance on Data Privacy Day") including Senegal, Mali and Rwanda that have issued a limited number of refugee IDs, said Mbav Tshilombo, UNHCR deputy representative in Cameroon.

The card is a form of empowerment, so they can have access to jobs and [financial institutions,”](https://www.financedigest.com/a-cloud-migration-guide-for-financial-institutions.html "A Cloud Migration Guide for Financial Institutions") he said, adding that Central Africans with the ID can also set up businesses easily, no longer needing a Cameroonian intermediary to help them do so.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

More than 1 [billion people https://id4d.worldbank.org/global-dataset globally – 40% of whom live in Africa https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/298651503551191964/the-state-of-identification-systems-in-africa-country-briefs – do not have official](https://www.financedigest.com/australias-nuclear-submarine-plan-to-cost-up-to-245-billion-by-2055-defence-official.html "Australia’s nuclear submarine plan to cost up to 5 billion by 2055 -defence official") proof of identity, greatly limiting their ability to access basic public and financial services, according to the World Bank.

In Cameroon, the UNHCR issues its own ID cards to all refugees, but these are not widely recognised, and refugees generally cannot use them to apply for jobs, enrol in university or undertake other everyday tasks.

We’re working with the government for them to recognise the identity cards issued by UNHCR, so that those who haven’t received the [biometric cards](https://www.financedigest.com/fingerprints-supports-two-more-biometric-payment-card-launches-in-the-mena-region.html "FINGERPRINTS’ SUPPORTS TWO MORE BIOMETRIC PAYMENT CARD LAUNCHES IN THE MENA REGION") won’t have problems,” said Tshilombo.

For the new biometric IDs, authorities are prioritising refugee women, who are at [greater risk](https://www.financedigest.com/with-greater-freedom-comes-heightened-risk-how-to-help-ensure-consumer-data-remains-secure-in-an-open-banking-system.html "With Greater Freedom Comes Heightened Risk: How to Help Ensure Consumer Data Remains Secure in an Open Banking System") of abuse or exploitation without a proper livelihood, he added.

About half the refugees in Cameroon – or adults over the age of 18 – are eligible for the new biometric IDs, according to local officials.

Digital IDs have proven to be “the most effective” way for governments and aid agencies to [provide relief](https://www.financedigest.com/recovery-bus-provides-cool-relief-for-s-koreas-covid-19-testers.html "‘Recovery bus’ provides cool relief for S.Korea’s COVID-19 testers") and resources to displaced people, said Kathleen Ndongmo at the African Digital Rights Network, an advocacy group.

“Existing inequalities in refugee populations may be exacerbated without such interventions, denying the most vulnerable life-enhancing opportunities,” she said.

At the same time, host nations must take care to safeguard the [data that is held in the digital](https://www.financedigest.com/why-data-is-the-best-weapon-in-the-war-for-digital-talent.html "Why data is the best weapon in the war for digital talent") IDs, she added.

Due to the fact that many of them may be fleeing persecution, [protecting their data](https://www.financedigest.com/aon-introduces-new-cyber-solution-in-response-to-eu-regulation-on-data-protection.html "Aon introduces new cyber solution in response to EU regulation on data protection") is crucial.

PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE

Across Africa, more governments are issuing digital IDs that are necessary for everything from opening a bank account to [buying a mobile SIM card](https://www.financedigest.com/over-half-of-britons-say-loyalty-cards-encourage-them-to-buy-a-product-niq.html "Over half of Britons say loyalty cards encourage them to buy a product – NIQ") to getting a passport.

Yet the system leaves out poor and marginalised people https://news.trust.org/item/20210608164054-imkqe who may lack the necessary documents for an ID, or [face other challenges](https://www.financedigest.com/under-saved-and-underprepared-women-face-challenges-saving-for-retirement.html "UNDER-SAVED AND UNDERPREPARED: WOMEN FACE CHALLENGES SAVING FOR RETIREMENT"), rights groups say.

Kenya’s high court last [year declared](https://www.financedigest.com/first-year-of-n-ireland-protocol-required-1-million-customs-declarations.html "First year of N.Ireland protocol required 1 million customs declarations") the rollout of the country’s biometric ID scheme as illegal, while a group of charities in Uganda recently sued their government https://news.trust.org/item/20220513155511-l53t0, arguing that vulnerable groups have been denied potentially life-saving services due to flaws in the national biometric ID system.

Many countries also lack [strong data](https://www.financedigest.com/global-shares-slide-dollar-gains-as-rates-rise-on-strong-data.html "Global shares slide, dollar gains as rates rise on strong data") protection laws, which leaves migrants and refugees particularly vulnerable due to the large amount of information they have to submit during the asylum process, said Ndongmo.

Cameroon’s constitution guarantees [data protection](https://www.financedigest.com/how-financial-organisations-can-stay-protected-from-financial-data-breaches.html "How Financial Organisations can Stay Protected from Financial Data Breaches ") rights, but there is no data protection law. A privacy [bill is currently](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-zone-current-account-deficit-widens-again-on-large-energy-bill.html "Euro zone current account deficit widens again on large energy bill") being drafted, and refugees “are not safe as long as this is not guaranteed and enforced”, Ndongmo added.

Systems are in place to ensure that the [personal data](https://www.financedigest.com/data-privacy-and-navigation-how-our-personal-data-is-used-in-navigation-apps.html "Data Privacy and Navigation: How our personal data is used in Navigation Apps.") of the refugees is protected, said Norbert Wirnkar, an official at Cameroon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs who helped coordinate the digital ID project.

The [biometric ID cards](https://www.financedigest.com/why-latin-america-chose-biometric-authentication-for-payment-cards.html "Why Latin America Chose Biometric Authentication for Payment Cards") are also necessary for security reasons, such as policing checkpoints and identifying suspected criminals, he said.

“It’s almost impossible to track every refugee in the country. Less than 30% live in identified refugee settlements … which complicates any attempt of surveillance,” Wirnkar said.

With the pilot finished, the [government and the UNHCR are now waiting for more funds to issue biometric ID cards to all eligible refugees by the end](https://www.financedigest.com/light-at-end-of-tunnel-for-czech-services-as-government-drops-covid-pass.html "Light at end of tunnel for Czech services as government drops COVID pass") of this year, said Tshilombo.

“If we have funding, we’ll restart the process. Within two to three months, we can distribute to all the remaining refugees,” he said.

Enjoying her newfound freedom and rights, Teckombi Yazembrou, is making [plans for the future](https://www.financedigest.com/heres-what-the-future-holds-for-financial-planning-analysis-teams.html "Here’s what the future holds for financial planning & analysis teams").

What I [really want to do now is to open a bank](https://www.financedigest.com/be-really-really-careful-on-inflation-bank-of-englands-haskel.html "Be ‘really, really careful’ on inflation – Bank of England’s Haskel") account,” she said.

Originally published on: https://news.trust.org/item/20220826125934-b35yj

(Reporting by Maikem Emmanuela; Editing by Rina Chandran and Helen Popper. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the [world](https://www.financedigest.com/cheapest-countries-to-live-in-the-world.html "Cheapest countries to live in the world") who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit https://news.trust.org)


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