Treat refugees fairly

Kenya’s decision to repatriate refugees from the Dadaab and Kakuma camps appears final. Arising from an ever-present terrorist threat, the government resolved to close the two camps, which between them have been home to more than 600,000 refugees who escaped the mayhem that followed the ouster of President Siad Barre of Somalia in 1991.

The camps have been blamed for, among other things, the smuggling of goods, weapons and for being a breeding ground for terrorists. It has largely been believed the 2013 Westgate attack in Nairobi was planned within the vast camps.