"Saving" Dadaab? Helping Somali refugees in Kenya...

A temporary relief... but a relief still:

• Long-term refugee camp in Kenya is no solution but it’s vital Somali refugees don’t feel pressured to return home, warns the IRC. 

Nairobi, 17 November, 2016 - While the announcement by the Government of Kenya to defer the closure of Dadaab refugee camp does little to allay refugees’ fears, it presents an opportunity to critically reflect on humanitarian concerns that have emerged since efforts to close the world’s largest camp began six months ago. 

Since May, the rate of refugee movement from Kenya to Somalia has increased four-fold. While refugees are moving to Somalia for a number of reasons, it is clear that many are departing because they feel under pressure. It is critical that moving forward no refugees feel forced to leave Dadaab.

While the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is strongly against involuntary repatriation, the organisation is not, in principle, against camp closure. For repatriation to be successful, refugees must be supported to expand their skills while still in Kenya, which will provide them with more earning opportunities in Somalia. It is also critically important to support integration into their new communities after they have left the camp. This will take large-scale, long-term investment in Somalia, including the host communities who will receive them. Without that the repatriation effort is likely to fail.

Conor Philips, IRC’s Kenya Country Director, said: “While we agree that long-term camp settings are not the best solution for refugees, it is essential that residents of Dadaab do not feel pressured to leave. I believe we have an opportunity to move beyond the current camp-based status-quo by presenting new opportunities for refugees. Doing so will take a well-coordinated effort, donor commitment, and flexibility from the governments of Kenya and Somalia.”

Richard Crothers, IRC’s Somalia Country Director, said: “We share the concerns of many humanitarian organisations that refugees who return to Somalia face potential harassment, crippled infrastructure, and little to no access to basic services in many areas. Many refugees also end up in unsafe and overwhelmed internally-displaced persons (IDP) camps, with even fewer services than Dadaab.”

(International Refugee Committee: https://www.rescue.org/country/kenya