Kenya is coercing Somalian refugees out of the Dadaab refugee camp and back to their own country against their will, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.
The repatriation of those in the Dadaab camp fails to meet the international standards for voluntary return, the campaign group claims, with thousands making the journey because they fear being forced out.
Rather than being offered a choice, refugees told HRW in August they were intimidated by the government into leaving and were given no option to stay. Inhabitants of the camp were also told they would forfeit a $400 United Nations grant if they left later than this year.
The claims come after the Kenyan government announced they would speed up repatriation of Somalian refugees and close the Dadaab camp – a move the Somalian government agreed with. Kenyan officials then stepped up a voluntary repatriation scheme, which HRW claim is more coerced than optional.
"The Kenyan authorities are not giving Somali refugees a real choice between staying and leaving, and the UN refugee agency isn't giving people accurate information about security conditions in Somalia," said Bill Frelick, refugee rights director at HRW. "There is no way these returns can be considered voluntary."
HRW says that coercion to return could be a breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The Dadaab camp was first set up 1991 for families fleeing conflict and many of the 263,000 Somalis there arrived more than 20 years ago. It is comprised of five camps and has become a commercial hub in the region, with make-shift cinemas, businesses, schools and hospitals.
Christian clergy and humanitarian workers previously warned the closure of the camp could cause a humanitarian crisis, and called on the Kenyan government to treat the refugees facing expulsion with dignity.
