Jobs, studies and health access elude refugees — report

REFUGEES in Kenya live in abusive conditions, endure economic hardship and are mostly denied recognition, the civil society says.

These findings are detailed in a report compiled by human right pressure groups for the United Nation’s Universal Peer Review Mechanism ahead of the fourth cycle of the mechanism.

“Their access to employment, education and healthcare is impeded,” the report says.

“Prolonged uncertainty and lack of protection further expose refugees to exploitation, trafficking and abuse.”

There are countless regulatory bottlenecks that weaken protection for the vulnerable group, including inordinate delays in renewing their documents, making their lives impossible.

For example, the lengthy refugee status determination processes and untimely renewal of expired identification documents leave refugees and asylum seekers in legal limbo.

Many are unable to access certain protection services and assistance.

In cases of delayed documents renewal, refugees often get arrested, exposing to harassment by rogue law enforcement agents. In the region, refugees have mainly come from troubled neighbouring countries, namely Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.

Others are from non-neighbours such as DRC, Rwanda and Burundi, especially now that the DRC conflict is active.

At least 3,000 onward movers (refugees) remain at the Kakuma and Kalobeyei reception centres, and some of them have been in this context for more than two years.

The report blames the Refugee Act of 2021, the new legal framework underlining the management of refugee issues. It imposed “increasing issues with accessing the territory and asylum procedures”.

Also, their camps are overcrowded, exposing them to hygiene and health risks, with both Kenya and Uganda willing to return some 1,500 refugees.

“While Kenya and Uganda agreed to return some 1,500 onward movers; some 5,000 onward movers in Kakuma remained unregistered by the end of 2023, resulting in significant overcrowding in reception centres. Currently, the over-stretched reception centres accommodate more than 3,000 onward movers,” it says.

A 2023 report by the World University Service of Canada said access to work permits remains a lengthy process, with refugees required to demonstrate exceptional skills not available to Kenyans, limiting their employment opportunities and financial inclusion.

Further, the document cites a joint report by the UNHCR and the World Bank (2023), which found that “only 2 per cent of refugees in Kenya have access to formal loans due to the non-recognition of refugee identity documents by financial regulators”.