Gov’t insists it will repatriate refugees despite facing opposition

The government has restated its position that it will repatriate the more than 600,000 refugees living in the country’s camps by November this year.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Major Gen. (Rtd.) Joseph Nkaissery says the government has now formed a task force to oversee the repatriation process, with the timetable to be released by the 31st of this month when it files its report.

“For reasons of pressing national security that speak to the safety of Kenyans in a context of terrorist and criminal activities, the Government of the Republic of Kenya has commenced the exercise of closing Dadaab Refugee Complex. The refugees will be repatriated to their countries of origin or to third party countries for resettlement. This decision was arrived at in November 2013, when Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR signed a Tripartite Agreement setting grounds for repatriation of Somali refugees. There has been very slow progress on the implementation of the agreement. As part of concluding this arrangement, Kenya is committed to close Dadaab Refugee Complex,” said Nkaissery during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Nkaissery says Dadaab and Kakuma Refugee camps have become centers of poaching, human trafficking, illegal arms and where terror attacks are plotted, among other ills hence the decision.

“Kenya is presently hosting over 600,000 refugees and has been doing so for a quarter of a Century. 25 years is defined as a whole generation. Refugee camps are not permanent settlements, they are not migration centres, and yet this seems to be what refugee camps in Kenya have been turned into. Refugee camps are supposed to be a temporary humanitarian remedy awaiting stabilization of their countries of origin.”

The CS said the move to deal with the refugee hurdle is informed by national security interests, and is meant to put the country’s national security first even as it deal with its humanitarian obligations.

“Over the years, our Security Agencies have thwarted and continue to thwart numerous terrorist attempts besides recovering caches of arms and arresting several terrorist suspects from Dadaab Refugee Complex. For instance those who kidnapped Teacher Judy Mutuain October last year planned and executed their plot at Dadaab Refugee Complex. As a result of insecurity created by existence of refugee camps, Kenya suffers the brunt of negative consequences such as travel advisories and poor humanitarian rating with obvious negative consequences to the country’s economy.”

He also lamented over lack of commitment by the international community to the repatriation bid, and proposes the huge amounts pledged to help them be devoted to their resettlement back home.

“The camps are now completely overcrowded. They were built for far less numbers and the International Community has never moved to address this. The environmental impact has been disastrous for host communities. Today, you have to dig over 400 metres for water when it was less than 50 metres before the growth of the camps. What is worse is that Kenyans have to pay for water while refugees get it for free, not to mention the enormous economic cost to businesses in Kenya furthered by the use of the camps as smuggling centres for contraband goods,” he said.

“What is unfortunate has been the lack of commitment to the Refugee Repatriation we have been calling for. Refugees are a responsibility of the International Community. The large amounts of monies pledged for their help should be devoted to helping them resettle back home.
They too have a right and obligation to contribute to the political and economic development of their countries. To make the matter more serious, Kenyans in AMISOM have shed blood to liberate vast parts of Somalia from Al Shabaab. That sacrifice cannot be in vain.”

Nkaissery said the refugees should contribute to their respective countries’ political and economic growth, justifying the action since Kenya and AMISOM troops have liberated a huge chunk of Somalia from Al Shabaab.