Roundup: UNHCR appeals to Kenya to continue hosting refugees

The UN refugee agency on Monday appealed to Kenya to continue hosting thousands of refugees from South Sudan and Somalia, saying the situation that forced them to flee their countries are still unresolved.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on the government to reconsider its decision to shut down the refugee camps and to avoid taking any action that might be at odds with its international obligations towards people needing sanctuary from danger and persecution.

"The safety of hundreds of thousands of Somalis, South Sudanese and others has hinged on Kenya's generosity and its willingness to be a leading beacon in the region for international protection," the UN agency said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho announced on Friday that the government would no longer host refugees and was disbanding its Department of Refugee Affairs, which processes refugee registration.

Kibicho also said the government would close refugee camps "within the shortest possible time" because of national security concerns.

He said Kenya had hosted more than 600,000 refugees for over a quarter of a century and had shouldered "a very heavy economic, security and environmental burden" and asked for the support of the international community to expedite the process.

"It is with profound concern that UNHCR takes note of this announcement. For almost a quarter of a century Kenya has played a vital role in East Africa and the Horn of Africa in providing asylum to people forced to flee persecution and war," UNHCR said.

The UN refugee agency said it will continue to be, in touch with Kenya to fully understand the implications of its statement.

It said Kenya has for many years generously hosted tens of thousands of Somalis refugees, fleeing fighting from central and southern Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia and DR Congo whose lives were at substantial risk that requires international protection.

"Kenya has played an extraordinary role over many years as one of the world's frontline major refugee hosting nations, and that inevitably this has had many consequences for the country and its population," UNHCR said.

"It is for these reasons, that UNHCR has been a prominent advocate for robust international support for Kenya, including support for host communities and a careful listening to their concerns," UNHCR said.

According to the UNHCR, it's more important than ever that international asylum obligations prevail and are properly supported in today's global context of some 60 million people forcibly displaced.

Kenya has been pushing for the relocation of Somali refugees living in camps encouraged by recent political developments in Somalia, particularly the selection of a new president, prime minister and parliament and adoption of a new Constitution.

The repatriation is being done through a framework agreed upon in a tripartite agreement among Kenya, Somalia and the UNHCR in 2013. Endit