13,604 refugees voluntarily repatriated to Somalia Govt

A total of 13,604 refugees have voluntarily been repatriated to Somalia while 439 have been resettled to other countries since May this year.

According to a joint Communique signed between the government ‘s Multi-Agency Refugees Repatriation Team led by Internal ministry PS Joseph Irungu and the Somali government, Somalia is facing a challenge in processing the returnees and ensuring sustainable integration.

It was agreed that Somalia creates a technical committee that will oversee the effective re integration of Somali returnees.

In May, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the government will close the country’s refugee camps and repatriate over 600,000 refugees.

Speaking in Garissa, President Kenyatta said Kenyans have been generous by hosting the refugees, whom he called visitors, for long time, adding that time has come time the government and the people of Kenya to help them return to their home country.

“If we were bad people as Kenyans, could we have invited them into the country? We still recognise our Somali neighbours as our friends, as people we can do business with, as people we can inter-marry with, as people we can associate with in all ways, but everybody with their country,” said President Kenyatta.

The United Nations and several other non-governmental organisations, however, asked the Government to reconsider its decision.