Friday, April 02, 2021

Kenya wants refugee camps shut down

 Kenya hosted 512,494 refugees and asylum seekers, with Dadaab and Kakuma camps accounting for 224,462 and 163,299 refugees respectively. Of the total, 274,299 are from Somalia.

Kenya has again threatened to close the two huge refugee camps. The threat is the latest of several attempts by Kenya to relocate the camps from within its borders.

Its ministry of interior gave the UNHCR a “14-day ultimatum to have a roadmap on definite closure of Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps”. The ministry added there was “no room for further negotiations”. 

Observers  point to Kenya’s deepening row with its neighbour that has resulted in Somalia severing diplomatic relations. The two countries are embroiled in a maritime delimitation in the Indian Ocean that led Somalia to refer Kenya to the international court of justice.

Kenya issues ultimatum to UN to close camps housing almost 400,000 refugees | Migration and development | The Guardian

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