Despite continued sporadic clashes, the crisis in Libya seems to be slowly coming to a close. However, the aftermath has left thousands of people still stranded - many of them migrant workers that fled when the war started.

One notable example is the refugee camp in Choucha, Tunisia. During the height of the 2011 Libyan civil war, Tunisia absorbed over a million people seeking sanctuary - Choucha alone received upwards of to 18,000 people a day. At long last, the facility is closing down and the UNHCR is transferring its services and activities for the people out of the camp and into urban areas of Tunisia.

UNHCR Deputy Representative in Tunisia Elizabeth Eyster describes to MediaGlobal News the difficulty in estimating how many people that fled the civil war transited through the south of Tunisia in 2011 because not everyone was identified individually. Hundreds of thousands of people crossed the border at Ras Jdir; most of them were Libyans but Tunisia also welcomed some 200,000 foreigners.

"The vast majority was migrants who were able to return home with the assistance of their government and a joint humanitarian evacuation operation led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR," says Eyster. In late August 2011, hundreds of thousands of people had returned to their home countries, most of them to Egypt, Bangladesh, and sub-Saharan Africa.

More than 4,000 persons registered in Choucha, however, were unable to return home because of conflict or for fear of persecution in their country of origin. In the absence of a national asylum procedure and system in Tunisia, UNHCR conducted refugee status determination, and recognized some 4,000 refugees.

"Because Tunisia was itself undergoing a political and social transition in 2011," Eyster tells MediaGlobal, "UNHCR initiated the Global Resettlement Solidarity Initiative, calling on resettlement states to make more places available for refugees stranded at the Libyan border, in Choucha (Tunisia) and Salloum (Egypt). Some 3,600 refugees registered in Choucha were accepted for resettlement."

The number of arrivals dropped significantly after the collapse of Khadafi's regime at the end of August 2011, prompting UNHCR and resettlement countries to introduce a cut-off date for automatic referral for resettlement by December that year. Refugees registered with UNHCR after that date are not referred automatically to resettlement countries but are offered comprehensive assistance by UNHCR in urban areas in Tunisia.

Seventeen states participated in the Global Resettlement Solidarity Initiative. Out of the 3,600 refugees accepted for resettlement from Choucha, 3,176 have already departed, mostly to the United States, followed by Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, and Australia. About 400 refugees residing in a foyer in Medenine are awaiting departure.

This means that around 300 refugees who have not been resettled will be able to remain in Tunisia where they will continue to receive assistance. The Tunisian government indicated a readiness to issue temporary resident permits and UNHCR will provide assistance with the help of its partners.

"Managing the Choucha transit camp has been problematic since its creation," Eyster explains. "It is located a short distance from the Tunisia-Libya border on a major access road. A violent clash with the host community in 2011 led to the burning of half the transit camp."

At the height of the emergency, the camp hosted a population from 22 nationalities and at times, conflicts arose between those nationalities. Eyster notes that the camp is located in a semi-desert area with harsh climatic conditions year round. The transfer of operations to urban areas will thus assure better services while improving the physical security and protection for refugees.

UNHCR trained Tunisian Red Crescent volunteers to work with refugees. "UNHCR's ultimate objective," according to Eyster, "is to give everyone a chance to have an independent and dignified life outside a transit camp. Special attention is always given to the most vulnerable."

As for the future, Eyster tells MediaGlobal that "UNHCR will continue to advocate for the adoption of a formal legal protection framework for refugees and asylum seekers by the Tunisian authorities. Already, access to schools and hospitals is a major step forward and a clear indication of Tunisia's commitment to providing support and protection to the refugees residing on its territory."