Interior CS Fred Matiang'i has said foreigners should apply for work permits from their home countries before seeking work in Kenya.
The Interior CS also warned that Kenya will not issue work permits to foreigners for jobs which Kenyans are skilled in.
"We will also not issue or renew thousands of permits to those people pursuing courses such as accountancy and tour guide courses, among others, which are taught locally," Matiang'i said.
The CS spoke at the University of Nairobi on Tuesday, during the launch of the Kenya Institute of Immigration Studies.
"This launch provides us with an opportunity to open up more areas of collaboration with all the stakeholders of Better Migration Management," UoN vice chancellor Peter Mbithi said.
He said migration can have both negative and positive impacts on regional economies.
"It is important, therefore, for policy makers and practitioners to be equipped with good knowledge that will enable them to harness the vast opportunities that arise from migration,” Mbithi said.
Matiang'i called on stakeholders in the immigration sector to work together to improve the sector.
“I want to see public relations made compulsory for immigration officers so that they can serve the people better. I want to find them friendly to all people when I am travelling,” he said.
Matiang'i said the government was putting in place a good migration governance policy that will contribute to rapid economic growth by influencing the inflow of capital and skills. He said the inflow will bridge the gap in the regional economy.
Matiang'i said the complexity of migration and its growing importance to national interests require that migration policy decisions are grounded on multi-disciplinary research and scientific data to mitigate the risks associated with migration.
"Recent trends in global migration patterns and processes point to the growing influence of migration on political and socio-economic issues," he said.
The event was attended by education and security stakeholders.
Read:
Related: