Refugees living in urban areas like Kampala cannot be fully assimilated into the communities, according to a new International Rescue Committee -IRC report.

In Kampala, the report examined 40 refugees living in Kisenyi. The findings of the report were reached by reviewing existing policies and laws concerning refugees and interviewing both refugees and persons from different offices that interact with them.

The findings show that while the government has laws in place like the 2006 Refugees Act and the Refugee Regulatory Policy that give refugees the right to assimilate and work in their host communities, many of them find it hard to earn a living in Kampala and other towns. According to the study, many refugees find it hard to become self-reliant because they cannot access loans to start businesses or get formal employment.

In addition to this, many of them can not access social protection grants like the Youth Livelihood Programme to start businesses and sustain their families. Gerald Lee, a project manager at Re:Build says the report shows that while Uganda has many laws that should help refugees live freely, some gaps hinder their implementation which leaves many urban refugees living in poverty.