Meheba: Refugees struggle for integration over lack of language skills

At the Meheba refugee camp in northwestern Zambia, thousands of refugees—mainly Burundian and Congolese—are denouncing integration difficulties following the language barrier. They are calling on the UNHCR and the Zambian authorities to organize language training to facilitate their social and economic inclusion.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The Meheba camp, which currently hosts more than 27,000 refugees—including approximately 3,000 Burundians—faces a major challenge: linguistic integration. For many refugees, the inability to understand and speak English, Zambia’s official language, seriously hinders their inclusion in local society.

“When we go to the hospital, we need an interpreter. “Medical confidentiality should be respected,” explains a Burundian refugee. “Even in administrative offices, we can’t express anything without help.”

According to the testimonies collected, these interpreters are often Zambians, which sometimes causes discomfort, especially when it comes to sharing sensitive personal information.

Exclusion that begins at school

The problem also affects children. In schools in the camp or surrounding areas, classes are taught in English or other local languages. This situation severely handicaps refugee students, who received little or no schooling in these languages ​​before their arrival.

“Our children are failing because they don’t understand the lessons. How can they succeed in such conditions?” lament some parents.

Social and Economic Barrier

Beyond the educational or administrative spheres, the language barrier affects social life as a whole. Refugees struggle to interact with local communities, find employment, or do business.

“It’s an obstacle to our socio-economic development,” summarizes a young Congolese man who has lived in Meheba for two years. “Sometimes, this difficulty fuels discrimination.”

An appeal to the UNHCR and local authorities

Faced with these obstacles, the refugees are asking the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and partner NGOs to set up language courses accessible to all, particularly in English, Swahili, and Zambia’s local languages.

They are also calling on the Zambian authorities to promote mixed community activities between refugees and host populations, in order to break down cultural and linguistic barriers and build peaceful coexistence.

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Refugees, mostly women, and their children in front of a health facility in Meheba (SOS Media Burundi)