Refugees Should be treated fairly

The World Refugee Day was marked yesterday.

Established in 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly, it is a day on which the world stands in unity with millions of people who have been subjected to political violence that drove them out of their countries in search of peace.

In Kenya, this day was marked against the backdrop of the Government’s announcement of the imminent closure of the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, which between them have been home to over 600,000 refugees since their setting up in 1991.

Us ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec has thrown his weight behind countries that have urged Kenya not to forcibly repatriate refugees into Somalia given the volatile situation in some areas of the country.

But while the concerns of the Government over the country’s security cannot be brushed aside, the least it can do is ensure repatriation is done in a non-discriminatory, humane manner.

The 2013 Tripartite Agreement still stands.

And it is possible to reach an arrangement with the United Nations to grant those unwilling to go back an extension on their stay while every effort is made to ensure Somalia is more habitable and friendly to its citizens.