Zambian President Edgar Lungu has assented to a new law that will make the lives of refugees living in the southern African nation more conducive, a senior official said on Thursday.

Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Lawrence Sichalwe said Lungu has assented to the Refugees Act Number One of 2017, which has replaced the Refugee Control Act of 1970.

He said the new law has many progressive provisions aimed at creating a favorable environment for refugees and that it will allow them to contribute meaningfully to the country's development, according to state broadcaster the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

Among other things, the new law focuses on regulating and not restricting the movement of refugees in and out of settlements as well as guarantees refugees' right to free primary education.

The new law has also domesticated the 1951 United Nations (UN) Refugee Convention and its protocol as well as the 1969 African Union (AU) Convention on specific aspects of refugees in Africa.

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2017)