and, when necessary, financial assistance in various countries to several hundred refugees and refugee families who expressed the wish to return home.
In 1977,
there was no collective repatriation of any significant size. However, the Office has been instrumental in facilitating the voluntary repatriation of individuals and groups, particularly to countries which became independent in recent years, e.g., Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique. As reported in chapter III below, UNHCR has continued to facilitate the economic and social reintegration of considerable numbers of refugees who repatriated in earlier years.
55. Organized repatriation, whether of individuals or groups, entails a declaration of voluntary repatriation by the refugees concerned, the acceptance by the State of origin of their readmission, and the administrative and/or financial assistance of UNHCR to facilitate their return.
56. As in previous years, UNHCR has engaged in a significant number of démarches to have applicants for voluntary repatriation accepted by the Governments of the countries of origin. These démarches have not always been successful. There have been several instances where Governments of countries of origin were not prepared to accept their nationals back, on account of security or political considerations or difficulties relating to economic and social reintegration. Such difficulties have been encountered particularly in countries which have recently acceded to independence, or which have still to solve problems resulting from military conflicts in which they have been engaged, sometimes over a substantial number of years. It hardly needs to be emphasized that, as in other aspects of international protection (e.g. the granting of asylum, the prevention of refoulement, the readmission for durable settlement and the reunification of families), the positive results which can be obtained by UNHCR depend ultimately on the active support of Governments.
57. In addition to voluntary repatriation facilitated by UNHCR, the Office is aware that voluntary repatriation sometimes takes place spontaneously without any international assistance; for example, in one area of central Africa, several thousand refugees reportedly returned to their country of origin in this manner.
G.
Naturalization
58. For those refugees for whom voluntary repatriation is not feasible, even in the long term, naturalization represents the ultimate phase of integration within their countries of residence. Article 34 of the 1951 Convention provides that contracting States shall "as far as possible facilitate the assimilation and naturalization of refugees" and "in particular make every effort to expedite naturalization proceedings and to reduce as far as possible the charges and costs of such proceedings".
59. The Office's efforts to promote the naturalization of refugees continue to be directed primarily towards:
(a) removing legal difficulties in the way of naturalization of refugees and enabling refugees to qualify for naturalization earlier than aliens are generally permitted to do so;
(b) exempting refugees from legal requirements for naturalization with which compliance is often problematical, such as the proof of release from or loss of their former nationality;
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