Kenya's move to close Dadaab and Kakuma camps poses a serious threat to the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, KNHCR has said.
Chairperson
Kagwiria Mbogori noted: "Refugees and asylum seekers are vulnerable persons in need of protection having fled persecution and suffering from their respective countries."
Mbogori added in a statement on Tuesday that the
step is counterproductive and a breach of Kenya’s obligations under national, regional and international human rights laws.
The government announced on Friday that it had disbanded the Refugee affairs department, the first step in closing Dadaab and Kakuma camps in Garissa and Turkana counties respectively.
Together they house about 400,000 people; Daadab alone had about 340,000 refugees while Kakuma had more than 55,000 in UNHCR data released in September 2015.
Kenya announced it would swiftly close both camps after the April 2, 2015 massacre by al Shabaab militants of 147 people at Garissa University College.
Mbogori further said:
"The
proposed measures amount to blanket condemnation of all refugees and asylum seekers living in Kenya as criminals or terrorists, which is unfair, discriminatory and unlawful."
The chairperson warned that should Kenya proceed with the plan, it would be breaching the principle
of non-refoulement. This protects asylum seekers and refugees from being returned to places where their lives or freedoms could be threatened.
"Somalia, South Sudan, Burundi and some parts of Eastern Congo remain volatile. There are reports of harassment and persecution of refugees deported during Operation Usalama Watch," she noted.
"Returning thousands of desperate refugees to Somalia will lead to further radicalisation and create a breeding ground for recruitment of the refugees to terror networks."
announced the plans to close the camps last week citing economic, security and environmental burdens.
"Due to Kenya's national security interest, the government has decided that hosting of refugees has to come to an end," he said.
"The government acknowledges that this decision will have adverse effects on the lives of refugees but Kenya will no longer be hosting them."
But the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed “” over the decision.
UNHCR said the safety of hundreds of thousands of Somalis, South Sudanese and other refugees living in Kenya hinged on the country’s generosity and its willingness to be a leading beacon in the region for international protection.