Refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya have been instructed to surrender their passports from their countries of origin to the Department of Refugee Services within 30 days.
According to John Burugu, the Commissioner of Refugees, failure to comply with this directive will result in serious legal consequences, including the loss of refugee status and possible expulsion from the country.
Burugu explained that despite having access to Conventional Travel Documents (CTDs), which allow refugees to travel outside Kenya, some individuals continue to use their original passports.
The CTDs, issued by the Department of Refugee Services, are machine-readable and should be the only official document used for international travel by refugees.
“It has come to the attention of the Department of Refugee Services that some refugees and asylum seekers are still using passports from their country of origin for traveling outside the country,” Burugu stated in a notice dated September 30.
He emphasized that under the United Nations 1951 Convention and Kenya’s Refugees Act No.
10 of 2021, all refugees and asylum seekers must surrender their original passports to the Department within 30 days of the notice.
The Commissioner urged refugees to comply with this directive to safeguard their status and rights and avoid facing legal repercussions.
“Compliance will help protect the refugees’ status and ensure their safety and well-being, which remains a top priority for the commission,” Burugu added.
This directive follows the recent efforts by President William Ruto’s administration to integrate more than 700,000 refugees from the Dadaab and Kakuma camps.
The integration process, initiated in July, was part of ongoing discussions with lawmakers from Turkana and Garissa counties.
The first phase of the four-year integration project is expected to cost Sh115.6 billion, signaling a significant investment in refugee management in Kenya.
Kenya Reports Four Confirmed Polio Cases As Vaccination Campaign Begins
