Kenyans living next to the Dadaab refugee camp want the government to rescind its decision to close the settlement and repatriate refugees back to Somalia, saying their livelihoods are entwined to those of the exiles.

The residents are fearing for the economic survival of Dadaab Town even as a voluntary repatriation programme launched in 2013 gathers momentum in the face of a myriad of challenges.

Apart from providing the only health and educational facilities and employment opportunities, Daddab camp—that was set up 25 years ago—supports local contractors who construct structures and supply food staff to the over 270,000 Somalia refugees.

“The camp is the centre of the local economy because billions of dollars exchange hands because of this camp. This is not something you just wish away without providing locals with alternatives,” said Mohammed Osman, a former reporter with Gargar Humanitarian radio in Dadaab.

Locals are also not comfortable with the closure of the camp because a number of them have intermarried with the refugee population, while some have registered as refugees to benefit from the facilities provided by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

A tour of Dadaab reveals that the refugee housing structures in the five camps remain intact as a sizeable number of refugees who had voluntarily returned to Somalia sneaking back due to lack of support structures to sustain their return.

In the meantime, the Kenya government has increased pressure on refugees to leave by November 30.

Returnees

“We left Somalia because all parents or children were killed. Now we have intermarried and given birth to children and we are now not sure which country they belong,” said Fatma Hirsi, who had returned to Kismayu in June but is back to the camp due to lack of food, shelter and security.

The refugees are asking the Kenya government that it should not only concentrate on repatriation because there are other options like natioralisation and integration into the local community.

Mohamed Affey, the new UNHCR Special Envoy on Somalia Refugee Situation—who on November 8 traveled to Dadaab to evaluate the repatriation programme—said that there is need to focus on the needs of the locals even as he maintains that the camp population has reduced by 160,000 through voluntary.

“The host community are the frontline ambassadors for Kenya on the issue of Somalia refugees. They have been very resilient and the international community need to also focus on the needs on the host community even as we embark on a regional approach to help the Somalia government provide facilities for the returnees,” said Mr Affey.

The Kenya government —through Deputy President, William Ruto—had in April 2014 announced that it would repatriate all the Somalia refugees within three years after the terrorist attack in at Garissa University that killed 148 people.

Kenyan authorities had said they have evidence that the camp is being used as recruitment for Somalia militants, Al Shabaab, and that some camp residents are used to launch attacks inside Kenya.

In May, the government announced it was disbanding the Department of Refugee Affairs with immediate effect and would close the camp on 30 November 2016. But three weeks to the deadline, the Tripartite Agreement signed between Kenya, the Somalia government and UNHCR has only succeeded in repatriating 28,799 refugees to Somalia from Dadaab.

An estimated 276,269 Somalia refugees still remain in the Dadaab’s five camps of Hagadera, Kambioos, Ifo, Ifo2 and Dagahaley. So far, 66,650 refugees have approached the Return Help Desk with intention to voluntarily return but only 28,099 have confirmed that they are willing to travel soon.

Home areas

The challenge is that the exact number of those who have quietly returned to Dadaab because of unbearable conditions in Somalia is yet to be established. Yusuf Hammed government.

At the Return Help Desk established in the five camps, those who have offered to return voluntarily are given counsels and advise on the latest situation in the areas where they wish to return. They are then processed by the government Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS) before but in either buses or planes that are financed by the Danish Refugee Council.

Yusuf Hemed, the RAS officer in charge at Hagader Camp told The East African retrieves the refugee card from the voluntary returnees, they immediately lose the status of legal aliens and become citizens of Somalia.

“We have so far encountered cases where those who return to reclaim their status because of lack of facilities and security in their home areas. They also complain that while they were living in Dadaab for free, they now have to pay for everything and yet they don’t have source of income,” said Mr Hemed.

The Danish Refugee Council provides cash grants of $200 for every voluntary returnee using the road transport, $150 for those by air and additional $30 for those with special needs.

The Norwegian Refugee Council on the other hand provides core relief items such as blankets, solar lanterns, toiletries, and eating utensils. So far, the return package is offered to those returning to the 12 designated areas inside Somalia that have been identified by UNHCR as safe.