Kenya is again planning to close Dadaab

Kenya is again planning to close Dadaab, a refugee camp that houses a quarter of a million people, mostly from Somalia. The Kenyan government wants to close the camp by the end of August, according to internal U.N. documents reviewed by AFP. The three-decades-old camp was for years the largest refugee camp in the world until it was eclipsed by an outpouring of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh. Kenya has reportedly asked for UNHCR’s help in repatriating the Somalis or resettling them elsewhere. The country previously tried to close the camp in 2016. Kenya’s latest effort would defy a 2017 Kenyan High Court ruling that found the intended closure would violate national and international law. Rights groups such as Amnesty International say forcing Somalis back would violate their rights and safety.

Refugees Deeply | 29.03.2019