Refugee camps in Kenya are closing. What's next for the refugees?

For many of the more than 430,000 refugees living in the camps, this announcement will come as a shock. They were completely left out of this conversation despite the life-changing impact it will have on their future.  

Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) agrees refugee camps are not a long-term solution. But the rushed and non- consultative manner in which this decision was made makes us question the feasibility of closing camps in such a short timeframe in a way that respects the rights and safety of refugees.

The roadmap to close the camps places too much emphasis on voluntary repatriation. It is impossible to put a deadline on returns especially as some of these home countries remain unsafe. Refugees have a right to make a free and informed choice about if and when to return and should not be held hostage to arbitrary deadlines. 

Somali refugees in Dadaab will struggle to return to a country experiencing multiple challenges, but no alternatives have yet been presented to them. This is likely to cause panic and make their situation even more precarious.