Hasty Repatriation Kenya’s attempt to send Somali refugees home February [Heritage institute]

[Daqane]

Executive Summary

 

Kenya is attempting to repatriate more than half a million Somali refugees despite

continued instability in Somalia, and in defiance of national and international

legal obligations. The calls for repatriation gained momentum after a wave of

attacks targeting churches, nightclubs and public service vehicles in Nairobi and

the Somali-dominated North Eastern Province (NEP).

This reactionary and impetuous shift in policy has serious security and

economic implications for both Kenya and Somalia. Violence and harassment

against Somali refugees and Kenyan-Somalis have been on the rise since calls

for repatriation started at the end of 2012. Mistrust between Kenyan security

forces and the Somali community in the Eastleigh neighbourhood of Nairobi -

commonly referred to as ‘Little Mogadishu’ - has also increased, depriving police

of cooperation and information sharing.

According to Somali government and UN officials, almost 20,000 Somali

refugees have voluntarily left Kenya since repatriation calls started. Vacancy rates

of houses and apartments in Eastleigh have rocketed and, subsequently, rent rates

have plummeted. Schools in the area have reported considerably reduced student

numbers.

This comes just weeks before Kenya is due to hold national elections. Somali

refugees have become prey for politicians as the campaigns gather momentum,

and are increasingly framed as a national burden. The Kenyan government

lacks a coherent national policy for Somali refugees. While politicians publicly

contradict one another on the matter, the High Court of Kenya recently granted

an injunction halting the government’s directive to relocate all urban refugees to

camps.

The Somali government is not ready to accommodate almost 600,000 refugees.

Leaders say refugees will be welcomed home and considered an asset but admit

to being woefully unprepared to resettle them. Still, the Somali government is

devising an ambitious plan to establish large camps inside Somalia, near the

Kenyan border. It hopes to move hundreds of thousands of refugees to the new

camps before the end of 2013. Not only is the implementation of this plan

unrealistic, but it could also expose vulnerable refugees to dangerous conditions.

Many refugees indicate that they’re willing to return home if security conditions

3

improve, but most lack the financial means to do so voluntarily. There is concern

regarding the impact repatriation would have on already overcrowded Internally

Displaced People’s (IDP) camps in southern Somalia, potentially compromising

the fragile gains made in recent months.

The Somali and Kenyan governments must work closely through the recently

re-established Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) to find a satisfactory solution.

Reactionary and hasty decisions will exacerbate an already tense situation. Kenya

must realize that removing over half a million people may prove to be a logistical

nightmare with unforeseeable security implications

The Somali government must capitalize on recent security gains by establishing

state institutions that can absorb the influx of refugees. Key to this is addressing

the emotive issue of land in Somalia. Unresolved land disputes will likely lead

to a re-eruption of violence in southern Somalia. An orderly, well-timed return of

refugees would, however, solidify recent gains made and lay the foundations for a

stable Somalia.

The UNHCR must play a vital role in assisting the two governments to find

common ground. More urgently, it must assist those choosing to return now with

information and equip them with practical tools necessary to reintegrate into

society.

 

http://hiiraan.com/Pdf_files/2013/Jan/Heritage_Institute_Hasty_Repatriation.pdf

[suleeymaan]

Good read.

[raula]

Thx for the post D. Remarkable that a “refugee” group like Somalis have sturdy financial grip on Kenya’s economy hence should convert to a commanding arbitrator in matters of their own refuge but to the contrary; they lack solidarity perhaps because they are more concerned with re-settlement to further lands & mending broken dreams. See qof qalbigiisu u degi hadii ey kala daadsanyahiin!