The Human Rights Watch has raised concerns over the Borno government’s intention to shut down internally displaced persons’ camps by December 31. 

In a press statement on Tuesday, the rights group said the authorities should suspend the camp closures, which fail to guarantee displaced people’s rights.

“It is unconscionable to uproot people who have already lost everything to the conflict without dignified and sustainable alternatives,” said Anietie Ewang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The rights and well-being of displaced people and refugees should be the paramount consideration as the authorities navigate the northeast conflict and its impact.”

In August 2020, the Borno government announced and began plans to resettle over 1.8 million displaced people from camps in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. 

In October, a follow-up announcement was made that all displacement camps in Maiduguri will be shut down by December 31. 

Human Rights Watch complained that the resettlement and camp closures had taken place without adequate notice or information and left many people worse off.

Last week, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) stated its commitment to assist the Borno government in its ongoing resettlement of IDPs back to their ancestral communities.

The camps’ closure has raised concerns over the welfare of IDPs.

Amnesty International had released a statement earlier over the resettlement plans, citing the continued attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP and human rights violations by the military as possible risks to the migrating people.