Digital ID for refugees

The National ID Program (NIDP), the UNHCR, and the Refugee and Returnee Service (RRS) signed a data-sharing agreement in January 2024. Since then, efforts have been made to enroll more than 1 million refugees in the Fayda ID system in Ethiopia. The goal is to provide refugees with access to healthcare, education, and telecommunications, among others. Under this agreement, the PRIMES Interoperability Gateway (PING) is used to exchange data between national authorities and UNHCR to issue identity cards to refugees and asylum-seekers.

By the end of 2026, Ethiopia plans to issue about 90,000 Fayda digital ID numbers to refugees and returnees.