UNHCR has outlined a plan of action in line with Kenya's request, detailing a roadmap to the closure of Dadaab and Kakuma Refugee Camps.
The UN Refugee Agency wants an enhanced voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity.
This should be down while taking into account the movement restrictions related to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The agency also wants provision of alternative-stay arrangements to refugees from the East African Community (EAC).
"This would represent a major opportunity for refugees to become self-reliant and contribute to the local economy," UNHCR’s Representative in Kenya Fathiaa Abdalla said in a statement on Friday.
They also want an acceleration of the issuing of national ID cards to over 11,000 Kenyans who have previously been identified as registered in the refugee database, and continuation of the vetting process for others in similar circumstances.
Among the proposals is a resettlement to third countries. This is for a small number of refugees who are not able to return home and face protection risks.
“We have heard the concerns expressed by the Government of Kenya and hope that these measures will be a significant step forward in accelerating sustainable solutions for all those concerned,” she said.
The Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps host some 430,000 refugees and asylum-seekers of more than 15 nationalities.
“We believe that through joint renewed actions we can put in place measures that respect refugee rights and lead to sustainable solutions. We look forward to continuing our dialogue and collaboration with the Kenyan authorities and partners on this important matter," she added.
On Thursday, Kenya asked UNHCR to give a timeframe for closing Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps.
The demands came after the refugee agency responded to the ultimatum for a roadmap on the closure of the camps over, among other issues, insecurity and environmental degradation.
UNHCR agreed to repatriate up to 100,000 refugees to other countries like including USA, Canada, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
UNHCR plans to relocate 10,000 to Somalia, 5,000 to Ethiopia, 5,000 to South Sudan, and 3,500 to Burundi by end of 2021.
Some 25,000 refugees will acquire residency status in EAC and settle 5,000 others in the US. However, due to lengthy security screening, no Somali departures are foreseen for 2021, the response says.
