Kenya: Information on the position of the government with respect to Somali refugees
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | KEN18567.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Kenya: Information on the position of the government with respect to Somali refugees, 1 October 1994, KEN18567.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab313b.html [accessed 19 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Although Kenya is a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, it has not ratified the 1969 Organization for African Unity (OAU) Convention on Refugees (World Refugee Report July 1993, 29; UNHCR 15 Feb. 1993, 3). According to the same sources, the government has continued its 1991 policy of "unrestricted access to asylum seekers" while simultaneously denying them refugee status (ibid.). Under this policy, asylum seekers are entitled to remain in Kenya if they are registered and remain in refugee camps (ibid.). The same sources state that the Kenyan government tries to discourage asylum seekers from crossing into Kenya from neighbouring countries, but does not elaborate (ibid.).
There were 320,000 Somali refugees in Kenya at the beginning of 1993 (World Refugee Report July 1993, 56). While the government was praised by some for the manner in which it handled such a large influx of people in need, others thought the Kenyan government was too slow to react to the situation (ibid.). For further information on the government's position toward Somali refugees, please refer to the attachment from World Refugee Report.
The number of Somali refugees in Kenya declined in 1993 (World Refugee Report July 1993, 56). During that year 53,000 Somalis were repatriated to Somalia but several hundreds were reported to have returned to Kenya (ibid.). According to the same source, about 200,000 Somali refugees have registered for future repatriation (ibid., 57).
For further information on the treatment of Somali refugees by government officials, please refer to the following issues of News from Africa Watch: "Seeking Refuge, Finding Terror" (Vol. 5, No. 13, 4 October 1993), "Kenya: Illegal Expulsion of More than 1000 Refugees (11 December 1990), "Kenya: Screening of Ethnic Somalis: The Cruel Consequences of Kenya's Passbook System" (5 September 1990), "Kenya: Harassment of Ethnic Somalis" (6 December 1989) and "Kenya: Forcible Return of Somali Refugees" (17 November 1989). These documents are currently available at your Regional Documentation Centre.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
United States Department of State, Bureau of Refugee Programs. July 1993. World Refugee Report. Washington, DC: United States Department of State.
United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva. 15 February 1993. "Updated Electronic Fact Sheet on Kenya." (Fax sent to the DIRB)
Attachments
United States Department of State, Bureau of Refugee Programs. July 1993. World Refugee Report. Washington, DC: United States Department of State.
United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva. 15 February 1993. "Updated Electronic Fact Sheet on Kenya." (Fax sent to the DIRB)
U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR). 1994. World Refugee Survey 1994. Washington, DC: Immigration and Refugee Services of America, pp. 56-58.
