On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Zimbabwe LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Zimbabwe country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Zimbabwe COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Zimbabwe.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Zimbabwe is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Zimbabwe acceded to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 1981. However, Zimbabwe has entered reservations to Article 17 (wage-earning employment), Article 23 (public relief), Article 24 (social security), and Article 26 (freedom of movement). Zimbabwe also ratified the 1969 OAU Convention on the Governing Aspects of Refugees in Africa in 1985. However, Zimbabwe has yet to ratify the UN Conventions on Statelessness, including the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Refugee protection in Zimbabwe is governed by the Zimbabwe Refugee Act (Refugee Act), which incorporates the international standards codified in the 1951 Refugee Convention into national legislation. The Zimbabwe Refugee Committee (ZRC) is the national eligibility commission mandated under the Refugee Act to conduct refugee status determination.
The legal framework on nationality in Zimbabwe consists of Chapter 3 of the 2013 Constitution and the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act No. 23 of 1984, including its amendments over the years. Such national legislation further protects against statelessness; however, gaps remain including the issue of nationality for children born to stateless parents.
Legal aid organisations
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Address: LRF National Office, 16 Oxford Road, Avondale, Harare
Tel: +263 43 33 707 or 33 47 32
Fax: +263 47 94 656
Contact person(s): Deborah Barron (lrfnd@lrf.co.zw), Lucia Zanhi (lpd@lrf.co.zw), and Thabo D Moyo (fd@lrf.co.zw)
LRF’s direct services target Zimbabwe’s rural and urban poor, disadvantaged women, scholars, as well as the general public. LRF provide legal education training and legal services including help desks, mobile legal aid clinics, and legal advice from the LRF offices. Their legal education programmes include training of community paralegals, community outreach, the training of peer legal advisors to ensure capacity building of communities and community based organizations.
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Address (Street): UNHCR Zimbabwe, Block 8 Arundel Office Park, Norfolk Road, Mt Pleasant, P.O Box 4565, Harare, Zimbabwe
Address (Mailing): P.O. Box 4565, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 242 338891
UNHCR Zimbabwe provides protection and assistance to around 22,400 refugees and asylum seekers. The majority of UNHCR Zimbabwe’s work takes place inside the Tongogara Refugee Camp, Manicaland province, and southeastern Zimbabwe. UNHCR Zimbabwe provides a number of resources, including refugee status determination, protection, education, health, food security, shelter, water and sanitation, energy access, and prevention and reduction of statelessness.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
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Address: International Office, Borgo Santo Spirito 4 00193, Roma, Italy
In Zimbabwe, JRS provides skills training to refugees in the Tongogara refugee camp. The trainings include topics such as motor mechanics, carpentry, agriculture, computing, hairdressing, cosmetology and sewing. JRS also provides mental health and psychosocial support that includes safe spaces and activities for vulnerable groups, case management services, and individual and group counselling.
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Address (International HQ): 122 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10168-1289, USA
Tel: + 1 212 551 3000
Fax: + 1 212 551 3179
Email (general enquiries): sverige@rescue.org, infobrussels@rescue.org and irc.deutschland@rescue.org
The IRC first began working in Zimbabwe in 2008, following a cholera outbreak. The IRC continues to provide support to Zimbabweans who are coping with natural disasters while struggling to recover from a decade-long economic decline.
Zimbabwe LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe COI
Find Zimbabwe Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023