The Republic of Congo has a long tradition of welcoming asylum-seekers and refugees and is thus characterized by a favourable context and environment of protection, also favoring the local integration of refugees. Of the total refugee population, 52 per cent, or nearly 34,000 individuals, are of Central African origin, in early 2024. The latter arrived in successive waves following the political and security crises that affected the country in 2003, 2017 and 2020. 

The last significant influx of Central African refugees occurred following post-election clashes leading to the arrival of nearly 8000 refugees in 2021. Most of the Central African refugees reside in Likouala (72%) in local communities, particularly while 23% and 3% respectively reside in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. 

In addition to the traditional humanitarian assistance provided to the most vulnerable people, benefiting an average of more than 10,000 Central African refugees in 2023 through food assistance from the World Food Programme, multi-sectoral protection is provided to both rural refugees and host communities to enable access to basic services (access to shelter, safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation, primary health care, mental health and psychosocial support, sexual and reproductive health care, and education). 

In order to enable the socio-economic and local integration of refugees, collaboration with development actors and in particular the World Bank has enabled integration into national programmes such as the Lisungi social safety net project in the department of Likouala, as well as in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. 

The project, funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Humanitarian Action, benefits vulnerable beneficiaries, nationals and refugees, equally (fifty percent, fifty percent) in the department of Likouala. Nearly 1,500 refugee households in CAR received conditional cash transfers (health, education) and support for income-generating activities. 

To strengthen resilience and empowerment, support from the Federal Republic of Germany has enabled the "Kwa na kwa" market gardeners' group, made up of refugees from CAR and locals from the host village of Moungoungui (Likouala), to improve the food security of all inhabitants, while strengthening peaceful coexistence and social cohesion. This empowerment project also contributes directly to the local economic circuit, thus strengthening their integration.

Similarly, the "Vision Plus" group of market gardening refugees from Bétou has been selected by the government's National Project to Support the Development of Commercial Agriculture (PDAC) funded by the World Bank.

The Government of Congo continues to cooperate fully with UNHCR in assisting refugees with voluntary repatriation. According to the latest compendiums of return intentions, most refugees from the CAR do not envisage voluntary repatriation, only individual applications are taken into consideration.

In 2017, following the signing of tripartite agreements between the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees living in Congo, repatriation operations began. From 2017 to 2023, out of 35,000 refugees voluntarily repatriated to CAR, 10,000 or 29% came from the Republic of Congo. The political context in 2020 as well as the global health context had a negative impact on the voluntary repatriation process. 

In view of this context and the commitments made within the framework of the platform to support solutions for the situation in CAR, the Republic of Congo has defined strategic priorities for the implementation of the Yaoundé Declaration through its national technical committee composed of various actors under the leadership of the Government. These interventions will address critical needs in terms of protection, empowerment and socio-economic inclusion, as well as create conditions conducive to the voluntary return and reintegration of refugees in their countries.