Somalia: the source and home of thousands of refugees
MOGADISHU, Somalia – For nearly three decades, Somalia has been classified as a major source of refugees across the world, given many years of internal conflict and civil war, coupled with violent extremism, which threatened to tear the country apart.
More often than not, many Somalis have found refuge abroad as refugees, but a number of them are just across the border in Kenya and Ethiopia at the UNHCR. United Nations for Refugees. [UNHCR] stations. Dadaab and Kakuma are the biggest hotbeds of Somali refugees.
But inside the country, there are nearly 2.9 million internally displaced people, some of whom are victims of flooding, clan militias and even terrorism, with political unrest at the top of the list. However, they are supported by the UN and other partners.
Unknown to many, however, Somalia also hosts foreign refugees, including many from Yemen and Syria, who also grapple with political instability and endless war. Of the nearly 25,000 internally displaced people in Somalia, there are 6,800 Yemenis and 700 Syrians.
In fact, a number of Syrians are now running hotels and medical clinics in Somalia, one of the most unlikely destinations for them. Some of them now refer to Somalia as their second home despite being seen as a hostile environment for refugees.
Regarding this development, Faith Kasina of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, praised Somalia’s open door policy for refugees, which allows them to move freely and work, using their skills without need a permit.
“Somalia has had its own challenges over the years, but we must applaud this country and this government as they have maintained an open door policy for refugees for the past 30 years despite the challenges they have faced,” Kasina said. “We know that refugees can now live in local communities in urban areas and that they can also move freely around the country.
Among the millions of Yemenis who have been displaced from their homes as a result of the war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government is Ifrah Salah Abdalla. She arrived in Mogadishu six years ago and balances her time as a computer student and part-time cashier to support her family.
According to her, when she arrived in Somalia, she did not encounter much difficulty as Somalia does not require visas from refugees, especially those from Syria. She added that government agencies responsible for refugees had been very supportive of business initiatives, such as opening restaurants and clinics equally to refugees and locals.
Ishak Abdullahi Elmi lived in Syria as a Somali refugee from 1996 to 2000. He is now among the candidates vying for a seat as a member of the federal parliament in the upcoming Somali elections. He said he believed refugees from Syria, in particular, should be welcome in his country.
But despite Somalia hosting refugees, its citizens elsewhere in Kenya must be repatriated by the end of June 2022 as the government seeks to close the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. The Kenyan government has given a timetable after threatening to close the camps in March 2021.
Earlier this year, former presidential contender Peter Gichira went to court to challenge the government’s decision to shut down the two camps, arguing that the decision is unconstitutional. He was one of the thousands who opposed this decision.
Gichira maintains that the directive on the closure of the two camps violates the Constitution of Kenya, international laws and treaties concerning the protection of the rights of refugees and is therefore null and void.
However, as the world celebrates International Refugee Day, the Kenyan government has already reached an agreement on the repatriation of refugees from both camps. The two countries have also resolved their diplomatic differences which have almost reached toxic levels.
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