14000 Kenyans Delisted From Refugee List At Dadaab Camp
Kenyans from North Eastern who had been wrongfully registered as refugees will soon be removed from the UN refugee database. This was after 14000 of them were found not to be refugees. The vetting was occasioned by the plight of many youths who could not practise their citizenship rights. The youths were victims of registrations undertaken by their parents in the 1990s even before they had acquired their IDs.
The vetting of double registered people was launched in November last year. With the government promising that genuine Kenyans who registered as refugees will be issued with ID cards by March. While trying to have fingerprints removed from the UN Refugee Agency(UNHCR) database, locals have fallen victim to cartels. The cartels are demanding substantial amounts as bribe without any success. However, the process is on hold following the outbreak of Covid-19. “The vetting itself was so stringent and involved elders, chiefs, Military, intelligence. We have no doubt that those vetted are genuine Kenyans,” Dado says.
The UN has started closing down the vast Dadaab camps home to more than 600,000 refugees. Majority of them are from Somalia. But the number has drastically come down following voluntary repatriation of the refugees. It is estimated that the number could be less than 300,000.
Local leaders who attended the function termed the move as a milestone for the government. “Every household in this region has someone who has his data captured by UNHCR. So many especially the youth have suffered a lot. They cannot secure employment, their right of movement is curtailed.” Dadaab MP Mohamed Dahiye says. Of the 14000 registered as refugees, 80% are the youth. It is said they registered as refugees due to the opportunities offered by the UN. The local leaders want a second phase for those who missed out.
